Anti-Pray-er

Lately I feel that if you want something terrible to happen to someone, ask me to pray for them. Of course, I only have one example of such a thing, but one is enough. I can almost hear a discussion among people "If you want something bad to happen to them, ask Steve to pray for them."

That is exaggeration, but the way I feel today, it hits very close to home. The situation with my niece is to a point where every word she says to us is in a nasty tone and loud -- oh, so loud -- and then when confronted with loudness, she says, "I'm frustrated." You see, I spent two weeks praying for a blessing for her and just four days ago a letter came in the mail smashing her hopes to smithereens. Now I know that God's timeline and my time line are not the same thing. And, that God does not show to us all that is in store, but it made me about half afraid to pray!

Poor me, pity me, blog entries make me sick to my stomach, so feel free to gag upon reading this piece of my daily tripe. However, I am determined to make something good not only of this day, but of this situation. St. Therese of Lisieux said "I understand now that charity consists in bearing with the faults of others, in not being surprised at their weakness, in being edified by the smallest acts of virtue we see them practice."

And bless her cotton picking heart, my niece does have her virtues. She has problems that would break most people, she can't count change, and can't tell time on a clock with hands, but sometimes she has the compassion of the angels. It's just that lately I can't see much of that, which is a clue to me that she is suffering. The problem is she won't hear anything anyone has to say to her in comfort or help.

Ad Magnif. Ant: O Sapiéntia, * quæ ex ore Altíssimi prodiísti, attíngens a fine usque ad finem, fórtiter suavitérque dispónens ómnia : veni ad docéndum nos viam prudéntiæ.

Ant. on Magnif: O Wisdom, * which camest out of the mouth of the Most High, and reachest from one end to another, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.