What an experience I had just yesterday. I must have been giving off some approachable vibe because I was amazed at the course of events in just a single 8 hour period. Here's what happened:
I went to get one of our cars serviced. I am friendly with the service manager, who started as my "go to" guy when I first started going there. I went over to chat ... and holy cow, did we ever. He is going through a crisis, a large part of which could end up very seriously. Now ordinarily, I would just listen and commiserate. Gladly, because I like this fellow a lot. Some of the subject matter discussed would warrant my vocalizing my opinion loudly, because his spiritual well being is a concern of mine. I would talk with his friend, who is involved too, if I could get to them.
Now protocol in our everyday world would dictate I say nothing and not get involved. I felt obligated to discuss the matters openly, offer advice, etc., because we are talking serious moral questions. I hope I did right. Now, he could end up not liking me, because I wound up giving my opinion. I don't believe he will turn against me as a busybody, but ethically, I had no choice. I hope he heard me. At least I was given the chance to do God's work, as I see it. What choice did I really have? A soul was at stake and how could I stand idly by? I can't.
Then I went to Mass because I had some prayers to say related to friends, family, etc. And now my friend's new problems. When Mass was over someone came over to me and said they were going to do the rosary for my friend of the last blog. How nice is it that they would even remember my prayers? (it is part of the ritual to announce one's intentions, if so inclined). They pulled me aside a couple of days later and I gave them more details. But how sweet was that? I was deeply moved. I did the prayer with them and thanked them profusely.
I was the last one to leave the tiny rectory. As I was, a young fellow asked me if I knew the Memorarae. I said I did, but couldn't do it from memory. Then he began to tell me his life story for the next 45 minutes ... and it was my pleasure to hear it. He has been blessed so many times and given so many signs I was transfixed by what he had to say. I told him about a service project I had this weekend and he may be joining me. I would like to hear more and maybe contribute something. Hopefully, I will receive this gift, in addition to the one I got listening to him. Why me, right? That is a blessing.
Then I took a homeless guy home, bought him lunch, while he regaled me with stories that were hysterical. I really liked the guy and wish him well. I also expect I will see him again outside the church. As I was dropping him off, someone yelled epithets at me because I was blocking the street. No good deed goes unpunished.
I cam home, imbued with spirit and tired from the experiences. Look at the blessings I was given, to work for Jesus. What a day it was. I hope it happens again, and I hope I have the strength to do it as expected of me.
God Bless.
K J Price
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Power of Prayer
I believe in prayer and always have. To be sure, over the course of time, one develops more understanding of it's function and how to do it correctly, so to speak. Let me tell you how powerful a thing prayer can be. This happened recently:
I have a good friend, with whom I work out everyday (unless he chickens out on me, because of my competitiveness .... just kidding). We do a 10 mile circuit on our bikes, once per day. If we feel like it, maybe twice (I am getting too old to do this too much). In any case, my friend is, I am here to tell you, at one with the Lord. By rarely tooting his horn about his beliefs, in speaking with him, you can't help but see this quality clearly.
Basically, I love the guy.
And 2 more polar opposites could not be found. I am irascible, outspoken, passionate about even little things, and a general pain in the ..... While he, on the other hand, is calm, analytical, reticent and quietly very funny (OK, we share the funny gene). So, for 30 to 40 minutes per day, I try to convert my Protestant friend to Catholicism .... and he has yet to run my off the road and into the lake.
So, let's add saintly to his list of attributes.
I am joking. I do not really do this, however, I wouldn't mind in the slightest if he did. We do discuss religion as we cruise around the lake (he goes to seminary school, too, besides his real job). At the same exact spot, twice, I have learned 2 things that profoundly changed my perspectives. One, I was disturbed at how some folks in business sell their souls, it looks like, but I can't be sure, to further an agenda that is unreasonable. He said this, "Keith, people are hungry for God."
Whoa.
It may seem so obvious, but I was not thinking in these terms.
About 3 weeks ago, my bike buddy came over to tell my wife and I, his doctor gave him 9 months to a year to live. I knew he had some issues, but I did not expect to hear this because he hadn't mentioned it in these terms. It was not out of macho-ness, but he was doing protocols that had tremendous hope. I was pretty cool ... till he left. Then I cried like I did when my father died. I do not like to see people I love suffer in any way. Period. This is not about me. It is about him.
I was literally in despair. I said to myself several times that God's will be done. I accepted this completely. My feelings were not important. God has a plan and I am accepting of it. It is imperative that I think this way.
So, I went to church a couple of times, prayed like crazy to my patron saints (Sts. Paul, Peter, Thomas More, John the Baptist, the Blessed Mother and Peregrine, who is the cancer patient's patron). I said, Lord, thy will be done, now and always. I asked the saints, sort of in an embarrassed way, to intercede with the Lord on my friend's behalf. I held fast to the belief of acceptance of God's will.
As we rode around the lake again later, I told my buddy that I was praying really hard, thinking of little else, but I had a sort of issue in asking my patrons to intercede; kinda like I was being disloyal to God. My friend said -- at this same spot at the lake -- that Jesus Himself asked for intercession from God (Gethsemani).
Bang!!!!
I then went after my beloved saints, with fervor.
My friend came back from the National Cancer Institute, MD Andersen and St. Luke's ... and these doctors gave him more hope than he had before. Way more. I went from deep despair to elation. No matter what happens, God heard my ministrations and my saints' intercessions. Like He was sitting with me and responding (He was, actually).
How's this for prayer power? It changed my life, yet again. Of the 6 odd billions folks in the world, He heard my little voice. If possible, I love Him even more than I did before. I don't mean cause He heard me, but because He heard me.
Me.
God Bless,
KJPrice PS st. John ate locusts, as you know. Only the kosher ones, and I am not kidding you. Think about it: no way he, St. John, would eat any other kind.
I have a good friend, with whom I work out everyday (unless he chickens out on me, because of my competitiveness .... just kidding). We do a 10 mile circuit on our bikes, once per day. If we feel like it, maybe twice (I am getting too old to do this too much). In any case, my friend is, I am here to tell you, at one with the Lord. By rarely tooting his horn about his beliefs, in speaking with him, you can't help but see this quality clearly.
Basically, I love the guy.
And 2 more polar opposites could not be found. I am irascible, outspoken, passionate about even little things, and a general pain in the ..... While he, on the other hand, is calm, analytical, reticent and quietly very funny (OK, we share the funny gene). So, for 30 to 40 minutes per day, I try to convert my Protestant friend to Catholicism .... and he has yet to run my off the road and into the lake.
So, let's add saintly to his list of attributes.
I am joking. I do not really do this, however, I wouldn't mind in the slightest if he did. We do discuss religion as we cruise around the lake (he goes to seminary school, too, besides his real job). At the same exact spot, twice, I have learned 2 things that profoundly changed my perspectives. One, I was disturbed at how some folks in business sell their souls, it looks like, but I can't be sure, to further an agenda that is unreasonable. He said this, "Keith, people are hungry for God."
Whoa.
It may seem so obvious, but I was not thinking in these terms.
About 3 weeks ago, my bike buddy came over to tell my wife and I, his doctor gave him 9 months to a year to live. I knew he had some issues, but I did not expect to hear this because he hadn't mentioned it in these terms. It was not out of macho-ness, but he was doing protocols that had tremendous hope. I was pretty cool ... till he left. Then I cried like I did when my father died. I do not like to see people I love suffer in any way. Period. This is not about me. It is about him.
I was literally in despair. I said to myself several times that God's will be done. I accepted this completely. My feelings were not important. God has a plan and I am accepting of it. It is imperative that I think this way.
So, I went to church a couple of times, prayed like crazy to my patron saints (Sts. Paul, Peter, Thomas More, John the Baptist, the Blessed Mother and Peregrine, who is the cancer patient's patron). I said, Lord, thy will be done, now and always. I asked the saints, sort of in an embarrassed way, to intercede with the Lord on my friend's behalf. I held fast to the belief of acceptance of God's will.
As we rode around the lake again later, I told my buddy that I was praying really hard, thinking of little else, but I had a sort of issue in asking my patrons to intercede; kinda like I was being disloyal to God. My friend said -- at this same spot at the lake -- that Jesus Himself asked for intercession from God (Gethsemani).
Bang!!!!
I then went after my beloved saints, with fervor.
My friend came back from the National Cancer Institute, MD Andersen and St. Luke's ... and these doctors gave him more hope than he had before. Way more. I went from deep despair to elation. No matter what happens, God heard my ministrations and my saints' intercessions. Like He was sitting with me and responding (He was, actually).
How's this for prayer power? It changed my life, yet again. Of the 6 odd billions folks in the world, He heard my little voice. If possible, I love Him even more than I did before. I don't mean cause He heard me, but because He heard me.
Me.
God Bless,
KJPrice PS st. John ate locusts, as you know. Only the kosher ones, and I am not kidding you. Think about it: no way he, St. John, would eat any other kind.
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