Between the Great Earache of 2010 and all the stuff I\u2019m writing and filing in order to be ready to head for Philly and Boston next week, I\u2019ve been letting my mail pile up. As a result some prayer requests have gone unread. My apologies to those who have been waiting around for me to post their prayers. Also, my apologies to all who have sent me sundry correspondence, links to post, questions, etc. I\u2019m kind of drowning. Bear with me.<\/p>\n
A reader writes:<\/p>\n
A friend\u2019s boyfriend has terminal brain cancer. There was emergency surgery the other day (haven\u2019t heard how it went yet) and there\u2019s a course of treatment coming up, likely to be initially very unpleasant, with the prospect of living for a couple more years. There\u2019s potential friction and wrangling among friends and family about visiting and caring for him, and I really pray that doesn\u2019t flare up.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to pray also for assurance and increase of faith in a friend and an online acquaintance who are struggling with the Faith in different ways; and for certain friends and family that I care about to hear the call of the Lord (and God needs to call \u2013 our own efforts don\u2019t achieve much, absent His blessing). Lastly, prayers that I\u2019d be a better servant and ambassador of God myself (on occasion, my own stupidity and ineptitude have actually put people off becoming Christians), and also solve certain work-related woes, would be appreciated.<\/p>\n
The things I\u2019ve asked your readership to put in a word for have generally seen movement in the past, so prayer support on this stuff would be greatly appreciated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Another reader writes:<\/p>\n
Please pray for my sister who is unmarried and pregnant. The baby\u2019s father is horrible and keeps stating that he will kill himself unless she gets an abortion. She is holding strong but this is understandably a very difficult situation. She needs strength and guidance.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
John Mallon writes:<\/p>\n
Dear Friends,<\/p>\n
Here I am again. I\u2019m feeling like the guy who always has his hand out. Forgive me, I don\u2019t know what else to do. Here\u2019s the situation. Tomorrow I have to have a bone scan for cancer. As I said in my last email It is doubtful that my cancer of 15 years ago has returned, but precautions must be taken. I received some generous donations recently but you know how money goes today. I made payments on medical bills and normal living expenses like light bills, etc.<\/p>\n
Happily the told me the bone scan is \u201conly\u201d $500. A refreshing relief from the multiple thousands of some of the other tests I\u2019ve had recently. Anyway they require $200 up front, tomorrow, before they do the procedure and I just haven\u2019t got it. I told a longtime priest friend I was feeling uncomfortable with this constant begging, and he said reassuring words: \u201cWell, when you work for the Lord, you have to be open to receiving,\u201d and warned me about laying it on to thick with my problems.<\/p>\n
I want you to know that I do realize many of you have problems far worse than mine. In fact, I consider myself very fortunate that the biggest problem in my life is only money. My health has been a nuisance keeping me from my potential, but that\u2019s about all. I look upon everything that befalls me as something God allows to teach and sanctify me, including the humiliation of begging.<\/p>\n
I take comfort in these words ( I love Sirach):<\/p>\n
My son, why increase your cares, since he who is avid for wealth will not be blameless? Even if you run after it, you will never overtake it; however you seek it, you will not find it. One may toil and struggle and drive, and fall short all the more. Another goes his way a weakling and a failure, with little strength and great misery\u2013 Yet the eyes of the LORD look favorably upon him; he raises him free of the vile dust, Lifts up his head and exalts him to the amazement of the many. Good and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are from the LORD. Wisdom and understanding and knowledge of affairs, love and virtuous paths are from the LORD. \u2014Sirach 11: 10-15<\/p>\n
This has come true so often in my life. <\/p>\n
And I have always loved this: Admire not how sinners live, but trust in the LORD and wait for his light; For it is easy with the LORD suddenly, in an instant, to make a poor man rich. \u2014Sirach: 11: 21.<\/p>\n
I am very much more Jesuitical than Fransciscan and Lady Poverty and I had always had a very dysfunctional relationship.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure you know the old joke about the Franciscan and the Jesuit. The Jesuit takes his Franciscan friend to visit the palatial Jesuit residence, and the Franciscan exclaims, \u201cIf this is poverty, bring on chastity!\u201d<\/p>\n
Just to reassure you, my spirits are up, I feel blessed with my life just as it is, (But would just change a few circumstances, (ie my finances) I am very rich to have you the, Body of Christ to turn to, and if some of you are sick of me, well, I guess that\u2019s something St. Francis would rejoice in too! If any of you are sick of me you haven\u2019t voiced it, and I thank you. My severest critic lives in my own head, and when he is nasty, I\u2019ve learned to dismiss him! I have the joy of the Lord and accept crosses as challenges, and something to offer up for our sad sick world. For the record I do not feel sorry for myself! My life in service to the Church has been the greatest adventure imaginable. Peter Kreeft told me recently, when I told him of my amazement of your generosity, \u201cGod always sends angels.\u201d And He does.<\/p>\n
So enough of this chatter. If anyone can help me meet this $200 to get on with this, I\u2019d be very grateful. I\u2019m working on getting your Mass cards in the mail.<\/p>\n
Love in the Body of Christ,
Your Friend,<\/p>\nJohn<\/p>\n