Hi God,
Well, we’ve made it to day 40.
I think it was more fun last year.
Are Lenten disciplines supposed to be fun?
Whatever, this year felt burdensome:
I felt dry and empty much of the time.
Perhaps dry and empty
is what we’re supposed to feel.
We are, after all, simulating wandering…
…in the wilderness…for forty days.
If I do this again,
I think I’ll go for learning
to do more orthodox prayers.
You know the ones that have stuff like
“forgive us for the things
we have done that we ought not to have done,
and for the things we ought to have done
that we have not done.
…and there is no health in us. “
My guess is you might like that better too.
It will sound more familiar
and familiar is comforting.
Do you get comfort out of our praying attempts?
I’m pretty sure that’s one of the points
as to why we try doing it,
To feel more comfortable in our own skins.
I seriously doubt that trying to wangle an iPad
is what the praying thing is about.
But, of course, I could be wrong.
How ‘bout when we pray for others?
Is that like hoping for an iPad?
Or is it an expression of concern
for the health of your son’s body,
a concern which can, indeed,
induce healing in that sacred body?
So, I’m thinking,
that after all this time,
we still need to learn to pray.
Maybe just a bunch of
Our Father’s,
Hail Mary’s and
Jesus prayers,
and those Calvinist constructs,
alluded to above,
are adequate, in that
they help tune us
to your wavelength.
I implore you, please,
do help us learn
to get on that wavelength.
Also, I’ll importune you, yet again,
with the request that you, please,
have mercy on my soul,
sinner though I never fail to be.
Amen