Prayer Requests

First, I want say “booyah!” to the people of Egypt for their successful overthrow of a tyrant. May God bless you with prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, to take the hard and merciful route rather than the easy way of vengeance, comeuppance, and a new tyranny to replace him. Father, hear the prayers of your children in Egypt that they might find their way to making a state of real justice and peace. Our Lady of Zeitoun, pray for them!

Second, a reader writes:

I’ve written to you before, regarding my mother-in-law and her ongoing battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Today, she spiked a fever and all indications point toward her having pneumonia. She has lived with this insidious illness for two-and-a-half years, facing the slow degeneration of her physical faculties and spending all of 2009 and 2010 in a nursing home.

She is very tired. She cannot move her body in any significant way, relies on our lacking lip-reading ability to communicate with us, counts on my father-in-law to feed her three meals a day, and is in pain. We are blessed that, mentally, she has been aware of us and knowing of us for most of the illness. It was the very thin silver lining around this terrible grey cloud.

As of right now she has decided not to seek treatment for the pneumonia. She has suffered greatly, and this is sad news but not surprising to any of us. The hospice nurse who called my sister-in-law indicated in the nicest, gentlest terms possible that this is probably the beginning of the end. Barring a miracle or the natural curing of the pneumonia without medical intervention, my mother-in-law is coming to the end of her life.

I know that God could cure her now if He wanted to, but it would seem that prayers to St. Joseph for a happy death, and for the many hearts who have, are, and will break with this loss, are the prudent things to ask for. I ask for prayers for my father-in-law, who is cracking under the strain of all this and just got released after a short hospital stay that successfully treated (thankfully) a sudden illness. I ask prayers for my husband and his sisters who are also heavy-of-heart. I also ask for the strength to be the pillar my husband needs right now, as I am also in the middle of writing my Masters thesis and taking other college courses.

Father, we ask through the prayers of St. Joseph that you would indeed grant her the grace of a happy death and that you would grant grace, consolation, strength and peace to her and all who love her. We ask, in particular, your grace and strength for her husband and son, as well as for my reader as she juggles her various responsibilities in this difficult time. We also ask your grace and skill for her caregivers. Mother Mary and St. Luke, please pray for these good people in this painful hour. We ask all this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Another reader writes:

Please keep my home business in your prayers. I’m having a very hard time and trying to stay above water.

Father, we ask that you would provide for this man’s needs and bring him the business he needs to do his work. Move your angels to guide those who need his skills to bring him the work he needs. Mother Mary and St. Joseph, pray for him. We ask all this through Christ our Lord. Amen!