That's Not What I Meant to Do, Lord

by Janet Cassidy

Have you ever had this experience?

You are in a group where a long, rambling prayer is being offered. You suddenly realize that your thoughts have drifted and you are mentally criticizing the prayer being offered (for its delivery, style or content) rather than praying along!

So often, as St. Paul understood, we do exactly the opposite of what we want to do. We set out with good intentions and things turn sour before we hardly get moving.

The Spanish, Carmelite mystic, St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), must have understood this dilemma, because she instructed others with this advice . . .

From Evelyn Underhill’s "The Mystics of the Church":

“What is the good, my daughters, of being deeply recollected in solitude, and multiplying acts of love, and promising our Lord to do wonders in His service, if, when we come out of our prayer, the least thing makes us do the exact opposite?”

Clearly, the challenge to serve God in spite of human weakness was a topic of concern even in the 1500s!

It’s easy to be prayerful and holy while sitting at home; what’s tough is being holy in the world. If we rely on God’s grace, whatever we offer will be blessed and worthwhile.

Janet Cassidy, columnist and freelance writer is author of Cassidy Comments, a biweekly e-letter. To subscribe, please send an email to cassidycomments@yahoo.com with a subject of "subscribe."
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