It’s been quite a few months now that every Sunday morning after we’ve woken up, I’d remind my family that it’s the Lord’s day. It’s special day so let’s try our very best to remain prayerful and avoid temptation to squabble and bicker amongst ourselves. This morning was exceptionally good.
About half an hour after breakfast as we were still very early, we made our way up into the main church hall to prepare ourselves for the Eucharistic celebration. Although I never got round to teaching her, my 22mth old daughter genuflected when I did. Praise the Lord! Then as I started praying, she began to fuss a little so my wife brought her out of the Church to calm her down. I somehow did not feel totally present before the Lord and so I prayed a little harder asking for our blessed mother’s intercession.
A beautiful prayer started to take form in my mind and it went something like this… “Lord let me not see only the faults in others but instead let me see them as opportunities to pray for them…” then came my wife who interrupted the prayer by calling me outside. In a rage of sorts, she told be that I had better speak to ‘that’ lady warden before she made her cry. She then related that my daughter had given her the slip and was running back into the church hall. However my wife managed to get hold of her in time, and so my daughter yelped a little.
The warden glared at both my wife and daughter, shook her head an uttered tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Then instructed my wife to manage her better. My wife told her she was doing the best that she could to which the warden replied a sarcastic “thanks!” I tried to calm my wife down but she was too angry. So I made my way instead to welcome parishioners and at the same time thinking what I was to do next, afterall my own peace inside was disturbed too.
It was the beginning of that prayer which started in mind earlier, that helped bring the inner peace back, and soon enough I felt the peace and love of our Lord once again.
I will share the full prayer with you in a few hours time after I’ve made my way to work…..prayerfully my wife will be more receptive then…. Praise the Lord. Amen
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