Anonymous Kevin wrote: |
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Hi, guys —
I noticed that the second I start to pray, I start yawning a lot. Literally every night, when I start praying, I yawn, when I wouldn't yawn throughout the entire regular day.
- What is the spiritual meaning behind this, if there is one?
Thanks.
Kevin |
| { Seeing I don't yawn during the day, what is the spiritual meaning, if there is one, of yawning when I start to pray at night? } |
Eric replied:
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Kevin,
The Desert Fathers say the demons try to attack us by making us tired when we try to pray. They will do everything in their power to prevent us from praying. So push through and do not stop!
They speak more specifically about this, but right now, this is a general quote I found:
The brothers asked Abba Agatho:
"Father, which virtue in our way of life needs most effort to acquire?" And he said to them: "Forgive me, I think nothing needs so much effort as prayer to God. If a man is wanting to pray, the demons infest him in the attempt to interrupt the prayer, for they know that prayer is the only thing that hinders them. All the other efforts of a religious life, whether they are made vehemently or gently, have room for a measure of rest. But we need to pray till we breathe out our dying breath. That is the great struggle."
Owen Chadwick, ed., The Sayings of the Fathers (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1958), p. 141 |
Eric Ewanco
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