AMERICA
|
Email |
A Prayer for Frustrated Catholics
Dear God, sometimes I get so frustrated with your church.
I
know that I’m not alone. So many people who love your church feel
frustrated with the Body of Christ on earth. Priests and deacons, and
brothers and sisters, can feel frustrated, too. And I’ll bet that even
bishops and popes feel frustrated. We grow worried and concerned and
bothered and angry and sometimes scandalized because your divine
institution, our home, is filled with human beings who are sinful. Just
like me.
But I get frustrated most of
all when I feel that there are things that need to be changed and I
don’t have the power to change them.
So I need your help, God.
Help
me to remember that Jesus promised that he would be with us until the
end of time, and that your church is always guided by the Holy Spirit,
even if it’s hard for me to see. Sometimes change happens suddenly, and
the Spirit astonishes us, but often in the church it happens slowly.
In your time, not mine. Help me know that the seeds that I plant with
love in the ground of your church will one day bloom. So give me
patience.
Help me to understand that
there was never a time when there were not arguments or disputes within
your church. Arguments go all the way back to Peter and Paul debating
one another. And there was never a time when there wasn’t sin among the
members of your church. That kind of sin goes back to Peter denying
Jesus during his Passion. Why would today’s church be any different than
it was for people who knew Jesus on earth? Give me wisdom.
Help
me to trust in the Resurrection. The Risen Christ reminds us that
there is always the hope of something new. Death is never the last word
for us. Neither is despair. And help me remember that when the Risen
Christ appeared to his disciples, he bore the wounds of his
Crucifixion. Like Christ, the church is always wounded, but always a
carrier of grace. Give me hope.
Help me
to believe that your Spirit can do anything: raise up saints when we
need them most, soften hearts when they seem hardened, open minds when
they seem closed, inspire confidence when all seems lost, help us do
what had seemed impossible until it was done. This is the same Spirit
that converted Paul, inspired Augustine, called Francis of Assisi,
emboldened Catherine of Siena, consoled Ignatius of Loyola, comforted
Thérèse of Lisieux, enlivened John XXIII, accompanied Teresa of
Calcutta, strengthened Dorothy Day and encouraged John Paul II. It is
the same Spirit that it with us today, and your Spirit has lost none of
its power. Give me faith.
Help me to
remember all your saints. Most of them had it a lot worse than I do.
They were frustrated with your church at times, struggled with it, and
were occasionally persecuted by it. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake
by church authorities. Ignatius of Loyola was thrown into jail by the
Inquisition. Mary MacKillop was excommunicated. If they can trust in
your church in the midst of those difficulties, so can I. Give me
courage.
Help me to be peaceful when
people tell me that I don’t belong in the church, that I’m a heretic for
trying to make things better, or that I’m not a good Catholic. I know
that I was baptized. You called me by name to be in your church, God.
As long as I draw breath, help me remember how the holy waters of
baptism welcomed me into your holy family of sinners and saints.
Let the voice that called me into your church be what I hear when other
voices tell me that I’m not welcome in the church. Give me peace.
Most
of all, help me to place all of my hope in your Son. My faith is in
Jesus Christ. Give me only his love and his grace. That’s enough for
me.
Help me God, and help your church.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment