In the wee hours of the morn, I ride the commuter rail into Boston every day. I like being at my desk at 7:30. I've been doing so for many years and will often exchange pleasantries with my fellow commuters (in between starting my day with my Magnificat and other prayers).
One day a few weeks back, as I was de-boarding, a gentleman said 'good morning', smiled and said "You are ALWAYS smiling. It is amazing."
For a moment, it caught me by surprise. (Because...well...you know.)
"Am I?"
Oh yeah, I am!
That's love, my Love. I try to feel Him in all things. Whisper and reach for Him. His light is so bright it shines through it all.
I found the following prayer on Facebook. It was not attributed to an author but whoever it was and is, I thank them. It profoundly says what I feel every day, in every circumstance - and every cretin who pokes me with the stick. Ha!
"Teach me, my Lord, to be sweet and gentle in all the events of my life, in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied. Let me forget myself so that I may enjoy the happiness of others. Let me always hide my little pains and heartaches so that I may be the only one to suffer from them. Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path. Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me; that it may make me patient, not irritable; that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow or proud or overbearing. May no one be less good for having come within my influence; no one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble, for having been a fellow traveler with me on our journey towards eternal life. As I meet with one cross after another, let me whisper a word of love to You. May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen."
10 comments:
Awesome prayer! Love it.
It is Fr. Hardon ;)
What a prayer!!!! Thanks...I needed this.
Thanks Maria, I am glad to know the author.
Susan, Kelly, - it's a keeper.
Not Father Hardon. He prayed, "Lord, teach me to be kind and gentle.." There is no way that "kind" and "sweet" can be equated. It almost smacks of the emasculation that is plaguing our Church. Yes, just the change of one word can make a world of difference.
Janet - thank you for the correction. I am not sure I see that big of a difference in substance. The word 'sweet' wouldn't be used for a man - of course. But I do subscribe to the notion that there is a sweetness to gentle women. Sissified men have created the culture where women have had to protect their children, families from harm. It is unnatural and I pray for the day when men can crawl out of their holes and do and say what needs to be said and done. We are not there yet.
Here is the exact prayer:
Teach me, my Lord, to be kind and gentle in all the events of life, in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.
Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others, to hide my pains and heartaches, so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.
Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path. Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me; that it may make me patient, not irritable; that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, proud and overbearing.
May no one be less good for having come within my influence. No one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble for having been a fellow traveler in our journey toward eternal life.
As I go my rounds from one task to another, let me say, from time to time, a word of love to You.
May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen.
TEACH ME, O LORD
Teach me, my Lord, to be kind and gentle in all the events of life, in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.
Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others, to hide my pains and heartaches, so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.
Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path. Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me; that it may make me patient, not irritable; that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, proud and overbearing.
May no one be less good for having come within my influence. No one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble for having been a fellow traveler in our journey toward eternal life.
As I go my rounds from one task to another, let me say, from time to time, a word of love to You.
May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen.
(Father John A. Hardon Catholic Prayer Book with Meditations p.49)
Carol, I wouldn't subscribe to that notion at all. Any mother who disciplines her children foregoes (at least for the moment) any notion of "being sweet". Yet, that mom who is "applying a board of education to a seat of knowledge" exercises true kindness.
Women have always had a charge to protect their children and families, hopefully along with their husbands. Mind you, I'm not saying "sweetness" is bad; I am saying, however, that it is not a valid benchmark for true kindness - masculine or feminine.
I do believe the word change is substantive; it certainly was deliberate. Why, oh why, was that word changed in the Facebook post that we both saw (and Gay probably got the misquote from someone else)? This is a prayer being attributed to Father Hardon, something that he allegedly prayed for himself (being a man). I hold that word change to be downright suspicious.
Restore DC Catholicism...It is just a prayer.
Janet, I am not sure we see eye to eye on this one. I run a tight ship but I did not forgo sweetness. They are not mutually exclusive. Disciplining is rarely done with a nature that my children would describe as sweet - because that is not the time nor place for that side of me to reveal itself.
But, my style of parenting is to be wise and stay ahead of the game, to outsmart them. When you do that you can run a tight ship being gentle but firm.
When a mate is insubordinate, that is not the time for even gentle and kind. It cranks up according to the situation - sometimes to intense.
Sweet is for another time and place that has nothing to do with moments of discipline. Sweet is when a women is extraordinarily thoughtful, gentle and kind in caring for the people and things around her. It is a magnificent attribute of being feminine. I love it and I loved it in the prayer.
Women do have a charge to protect their children but culturally we do it internally, inside of the home. We are not, by nature, the people banging down the doors of the Rectory reading the riot act to the Pastor. We are not, by nature, leading the charge of the light brigade. We have had to do it because the men are silent. Sissified.
There are many Saints - Saint Joan of Arc, Catherine of Siena - who have done things men ordinarily should do.
Much like taking out the garbage and mowing the lawn vs. buying and hanging curtains and stocking the nursery, there are things that are feminine and things that are masculine - there are things that are feminine and things that are masculine in caring for a home and children.
I am not a fan of a culture that forces women to take on this role.
I think some woman, somewhere, put the word sweet in the prayer - maybe for personal reasons. Fr. Hardon was a man's man - and I am glad you pointed out that change for male readers who wouldn't have been attracted to the prayer in that form. I missed it because I love the word 'sweet' - for personal reasons. Fr. Hardon will probably clock me when I meet him face-to-face, but I am going to pray it that way!
Peace.
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