“Pray as if everything depends on God; work as if everything depends of you.” (St. Augustine) Many of us have prayed for a Godly miracle to happen “…on Earth as it is done in Heaven.” The Latin phrase, ora et labora, says that words and action go together. The song, “Let there be peace on Earth” says, “and let it begin with me.” Some prayers involve more than words. If racism and poverty are to end, it’ll take more than “Ora.” “Labora” will be needed, too. ;-) Jack
FROM SA IN WA: Ah, yes, St. Augustine. I read his Confessions, books I-VIII. Interesting, he regularly, and consistently, refers to his soul as "she"===JACK: You and your dad...two peas in a pod...most of the time. Both of you would read Augustine...and remember reading it. I wish that I were able to do that...at test time.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: We’re praying hard but I’m sure it’s not what you’re praying. What do you think God does about those prayers!===JACK: I think that God hears our prayers and then does it his way> Isn't that what we pray? Thy will be done on Earth?===JUDY: I’m glad he doesn’t do my will.===JACK: I think that you meant to say: "I'm glad that He does His will." Right?
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: i LOVE THAT SAYING.===JACK: A lot of what the Roman Catholic Church is today is based on the teachings of Augustine.
FROM BB IN CHGO: Amen…the will for justice has always been G-d’s – we’ve just been fairly poor on the execution….===JACK: Justice? That's why we pray, "Thy will" instead of "my will" we done. Life is a continuing search for what is justice? and what is the Will of God? BTW< what's with G-d? Have you been hanging out with some Jewish people? I understand the use of G-d, but it seems new to your blog answers. Just wonderin....===BB: Funny the shorthand was unconscious. You hit the nail on the head, the Mishkan/Jewish community uses the hypen and I’ve been on their pages lately. They marched with the evangelical/black churches on the southside as well as the Uptown Catholic church where many of our Loyola Jesuits are doing their practice priesthood. I don’t know all the stages of the novices an such but like to see them getting their feet wet doing “justice” and neighborhood outreach. We need more of that cross-culture, ecumenical and neighborhood collaboration.===JACK: You may (or may not) know this, some Jews consider it to be a sin to write or say the name of God. So, they leave out the o and replace it with a hyphen (G-d)...and do not sin. I wonder if it's for the same reason that God is sometimes referred to as, "the great I Am"
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Like saying "Put hands and feet on your prayers!' Some prayer
petitions (often of mine) are for situations that we are
helpless to do anything BUT pray about: A mother and sister who need
prayer for a son with bi-polar who has gone amok, all professional
people, all in different states: A friend of my daughter who has lost her
job in the Travel Industry due to the pandemic, asking prayer as she
seeks new employment; college educated, but 57 yrs. old, etc. are a
couple on my prayer list. Health petitions are really in God's Hands,
but of course we can give unselfishly to share our means with people in
need, which Jesus has asked us to do without judging. We succeed
at varying levels to do that! All could probably do better!
St. Augustine became an
inspiration for sure!===JACK: Prayer is mysterious. Why do we pray? To get God to change His mind? To get God to do something that He might know about? To let Him know of what we're concerned about? How often do we need to prayer about something. For me, it's like talking with a good friend...in fact, our very best friend.
FROM LBP:
FROM LBP:
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