Secret Prayers

Are you ever asked to secretly pray for something? It usually goes something like this. "Don't tell anyone but my brother is going in for some tests, please keep him in your prayers" or "I am interviewing for a new job, keep me in your prayers" or what I find to be the best of all "I haven't told anyone yet, but we are having a baby, please pray for us."

This week alone (well in the last 10 days) I was tasked with 5 different secret prayer intentions.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of watching the Chrism Mass of EWTN. After watching the Chrism Mass I was driving in the car listening to 740 and the priest on the radio was talking about the Chrism Mass. I was half listening to the radio and half listening to my kids so pardon me as I explain what was said.

He (and Pope Francis) both were explaining the significance of the chrism and how each of us as Christians have a responsibility to allow our chrism to "drip from our cloaks". Through Baptism and Confirmation we are called to be evangelists and to spread the Word. To be shepherds. The people around us know that they can ask us to pray for them (even when they can't even share their circumstances with the world) because we allow our cloaks to drip. If we live our lives as Christians and show those around us that they can trust us with their intentions we are fulfilling our roles as shepherds in the Church. Bringing the people in our lives closer to Christ through prayer and example.

My message today is this. Through Saints Helping Saints we are often asked to pray for "special intentions", few of us know the true intentions for which we are praying. I believe that even though these special intentions aren't fully known, they are equally worthy of our prayers and that our prayers for the health, safety and well-being of our SHS community are powerful.

So, I am asking all of you to please pray for the "special intentions" in our community. For the sick, and the suffering. For those secretly celebrating with great anxiety and for those anxiously waiting results and news. Your prayers are felt and appreciated.