An especially good mid-day homily today on “If you remain in me, ask for whatever you want and it will be given to you.” This is particularly pertinent for me. Some months ago, I ardently prayed for a particular irreversible event to take place. It took place, in relatively short order and I immediately saw the drawbacks of this event that I had not anticipated. I wondered if I had been wrong to pray for the event to take place. Not too surprisingly, my prayer life suffered and, as my prayer life declined, most other aspects of life took a turn not for the better. Time did as it is wont – wounding all heels. Eventually I reached a crisis that drew me back to the foot of the cross, pleading for mercy.

Lately there have been a few intentions that have occupied a great deal of my attention and I’m on the flipside of the previous problem – I’m frustrated by the paucity of immediately visible results. No wonder I need to keep praying for fidem rectam, spem certam et caritatem perfectam.