- 29 October, 2026
October 29, 2026: St. Thérèse of Lisieux had a deep love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Yet, despite her devotion, one familiar Catholic prayer often proved surprisingly difficult: the Rosary.
In her spiritual autobiography, Story of a Soul, Thérèse honestly admitted that praying the Rosary alone was a particular struggle. She wanted to meditate on its mysteries but found it difficult to keep her mind focused.
“I force myself in vain to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary; I don’t succeed in fixing my mind on them,” she wrote.
Her difficulty caused her considerable discouragement. She loved Mary and wanted to honour her through prayer, so her inability to concentrate left her wondering why a devotion she cherished could feel so challenging.
Thérèse’s honesty offers a glimpse into the spiritual life of a saint who did not pretend that prayer was always easy.
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Thérèse’s breakthrough was not a sudden ability to concentrate perfectly. Instead, her attitude towards her struggle began to change.
She explained that she had once been deeply troubled by her lack of devotion during the Rosary. Gradually, however, she found consolation in remembering Mary’s maternal relationship with her.
“Now I am less desolate,” she wrote, explaining that she believed the Queen of Heaven, being her Mother, would recognise her goodwill and be satisfied with it.
This was not a claim that attention no longer mattered. Rather, Thérèse learned not to let imperfect concentration become a reason for despair.
She could acknowledge her weakness while continuing to pray with love and trust. Instead of measuring her devotion solely by how successfully she could hold her thoughts on each mystery, she placed greater confidence in Mary’s understanding of her intentions.
For Catholics, the Rosary is a Christ-centred prayer in which the faithful contemplate key events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. Its repeated prayers provide a framework for reflection on Christ’s Incarnation, ministry, Passion and Resurrection.
Yet distractions can interrupt even sincere prayer. Thérèse’s experience reminds us that struggling to concentrate does not automatically make prayer meaningless.
Her response also reflects the spirit of her Little Way: approaching God with humility, childlike trust and love rather than relying on personal perfection. She did not need to appear spiritually accomplished to persevere in prayer.
When our thoughts wander during the Rosary, we can gently return to the mystery being contemplated and continue. There is no need to turn every distraction into a judgement against ourselves.
St. Thérèse died in 1897, aged just 24, but her spiritual writings continue to encourage Catholics seeking holiness in ordinary life.
Her experience offers reassurance to anyone who has ever struggled through a decade of the Rosary, forgotten the mystery being contemplated or felt disappointed by a wandering mind.
The lesson is not that concentration is unimportant, but that discouragement need not have the final word.
Sometimes, the change that deepens our prayer is not a perfectly focused mind, but a heart willing to persevere with humility, love and trust.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
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