We often experience tasks which must be repeated again and again as monotonous, "the gray everyday". The feeling of inner emptiness becomes even stronger when the "gray periods" define our life over a longer period of time. This emptiness can be used in a positive way for our spiritual life in three ways:
- - Monotonous activities offer us opportunities for the Jesus prayer or for repetitive prayer. Since such work does not often take place in an environment which supports prayer, we must create a regular "space" around us for prayer . Whoever manages meditation with few or no words will often experience this form of prayer as helpful in such a situation. (That applies as well to lengthy periods of waiting or for longer trips on the train, bus or streetcar.)
- - Monotonous activities give our thoughts free space in which to "play". Here we can practice transforming ongoing conversations that we carry on in our thoughts (with ourselves or with another) into prayer by letting them become more and more a conversation with God.
- - Monotonous activities give us an opportunity to observe the thoughts, feelings and emotions that arise in us. When we are attentive to this, we observe that negative feelings like anger, discontent, grudges, jealousy, boredom, dullness, bad mood and similar things rise up and want to control us especially during times of monotonous work. Instead of allowing these feelings to control us we can use them. We can ask what has caused these feelings and what negative attitudes remain in us that reveal such emotion
- I Thess. 5:17 (" Pray constantly " in connection with a preparatory meditation)Look at the day before you and the routine tasks which could give your thoughts free space:
- - At what point could you have intentional time today for repetitive prayer? ...
- - In which activity could you make an effort today to transform the thoughts that rise up in you into prayer?
In the evening look back on the day with a concluding meditation (or during the day look back over the previous hours with a "prayer of loving attentiveness"):
- - In which part of the day can you simply reflect on your feelings at that moment with a "prayer of loving attentiveness"? ...
- - During which part of the day have you succeeded in doing a little of what you had set out to do?. .
- - What did you experience as helpful?...
Attention:
Do not dwell on what has not been achieved, note it and ask yourself what the reason for that might be. It is important, however, that you look again at what was helpful, be it ever so small, so that you can linger with it awhile and deepen it. Thus it will become "yeast" which will gradually leaven the rest.
- Luke 19:1-8 (to pray and not lose heart.)