I DON WANNAAAAAA!!!

Did you happen to catch the EWTN mass yesterday? I watch it at 6pm (CDT) and do not get back on line after that. BUT ... a visiting priest ... Father John Kennedy (yep) from Austrialia was speaking of what happened when the Friar (probably Fr. Joseph) asked him to preach. It was at supper, day before yesterday ... and that meant 'I do not have time to write'... but after the first refusal ... he was asked again (coaxed, he said) and again he refused. He did not say how many times ... but over and over; and they even said 'Just think, your mom in Austrialia could see you and see you are fine and healthy'. Was that blackmail?? He was grinning.
I speak of this ... because so many of us, lately, have talked about our 'dark night of the soul' and how there are times when we just ... DO NOT ... want to pray. He was eloquent ... and sooooo convincing ... and I said 'ALLELUIA'.
His words were 'the more you do not want to do something that GOD wants you to do ... but you go on and do it ... the more meaning your suffering has'.
Our homily on Sunday was much the same; 'in GOD's own time; in GOD's own way'.
As Lee Anne said 'doing it GOD's way ... even when we think we know more than HE'.
Jesus said 'pray with a joyful heart' ... but that does not say that if you do not have a joyful heart ... your prayers are less effective. In fact as Fr. Kennedy said 'give until it hurts; as our Blessed Mother gave at the foot of the cross. She, for sure ... did not have a joyful heart at that time ... nor did she, most of her life, seeing as how she knew from the beginning ... what her precious SON would have to go through to save our souls.
Soooooooooo, DJ, Leslie, Esther, me and me and me ... pray anyway ... and reap the rewards for yourself ... and others (Love your neighbor). I am going to try to continue using an 'attitude of gratitude' in all my spiritual life ... and let GOD know (as if HE does not already) ... I am aiming for perfection ... knowing it will come ... in my next stage of life.
DIEU TE BENISSE!!!