It is so nice to be able to share this time with you. So far this week, we’ve been talking about prayer and some of its different forms, this morning I would like you to listen to this story taken from Taking Flight: A Book of Story Meditations by Anthony de Mello, S.J. about what happens after we pray, especially when it seems nothing happens.
Please be mindful as you listen.
“In ancient India much store was set by the Vedic rites, which were said to be so scientific in their application that when the sages prayed for rain there was never any drought. It is thus that a man set himself to pray, according to these rites, to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, begging her to make him rich. He prayed to no effect for ten long years, after which period of time he suddenly saw the illusory nature of wealth and adopted the life of a renunciate (Hindu monk) in the Himalayas. He was sitting in meditation one day when he opened his eyes and saw before him an extraordinarily beautiful woman, all bright and shining as if she were made of gold.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” he asked.
“I am the goddess Lakshmi to whom you recited hymns for twelve years,” said the woman. “I have appeared to grant you your desire.”
“Ah, my dear goddess,” exclaimed the man, “I have since attained the bliss of meditation and lost my desire for wealth. You come too late. Tell me, why did you delay so long in coming?”
“To tell you the truth,” said the goddess, “given the nature of those rites you so faithfully performed, you had fully earned the wealth. But in my love for you and my desire for your welfare, I held it back.”
Ponder this story for a while and then please join me in prayer.
O Loving God, we know you answer prayer. Sometimes we forget that the answer may not be what we want to hear, or happen when we want to hear it. Given the choice of having our prayers answered at our will or being given the grace to be peaceful, whether they are answered or not, let us choose peace. And, let us also see that “Unanswered Prayers” can actually be your way of nudging us towards a more fulfilled and wonderful life. This we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.
With apologies to those troubled by the non-inclusive language, here is “Unanswered Prayers” by Garth Brooks.
