Pray

Last night, as I fell asleep, Big Sis began to say our night time prayers all by herself. (I should clarify that we have a BIG bed- a king sized bed that all family members are welcome to share any time, and that we were all in the big bed.) I had forgotten and was dozing off. But Big Sis took it upon herself to gently begin prayers. Starting with a Hail Mary, I roused myself enough to join in the second part: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." Then an Our Father, the Guardian Angel Prayer, and our "God Blesses".

Our God Bless prayers are like petitions. We ask God to bless or have mercy on people in our lives. Little Brother, sleeping in the trundle at the foot of the big bed, mumbled, "What about all the people who dont have anyone to pray for them?"

His prayer life is evolving just as his sister's is. Normally, Little Brother will contribute: God bless everyone in the whole wide world! I mean UNIVERSE!

Now he is including not just everyone, but distinguishing that everyone is not a simple group of 'everyone'. Everyone includes diverse people with diverse needs. The needs of the people he saw last night were for those who had needs that others didnt recognize. Is that confusing? Confusing but simple. A simple faith- we prayed for those who had no one to pray for them. Jesus knew/knows that there are people suffering in this world. And some of them suffer unknown to us. HE knows. But we show our deepest love by caring for those unknown humans. We dont just let them go or figure 'whatever'. We place our faith in Christ- who knows- and allow Christ to direct us and our prayers to those people. We may never know them- and yet through Christ, we do know them in a sense.

Again, lessons from two children. They teach us to be child-like so that we can know the kingdom of heaven.