Carmel and Irritation

Last night we had an OCDS meeting in Northampton, around forty minutes away from me.  We use a parish room in the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.  The church is locked when we arrive and the keys are kept in a coded box.  When we leave, we lock up and put the keys in the box.  Through a combination of circumstances I forgot to put the keys back in the box and discovered them in my pocket when I reached home.  Nothing for it but to make the journey all the way back to Northampton and return the keys to the box.  This kind of minor mishap resulting from my own forgetfulness has always had a tendency in the past to arouse an intense irritation in me, but nowadays I find increasingly that I can tap into the grace of God to let go of the tension. Ironically the shrine was being used after us by a Divine Will group – which seemed very appropriate to me; acceptance of the mystery of the Divine Will even in these small inconveniences being a big element in our inner spiritual health.    

Intercessions

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Fr Jon Bielowski (Plymouth Diocese), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Sister Daranee Teapthong, Theresa K

Brian (recovering from Pneumonia)

Kevin (heart attack)

William Gove (recovering from stroke)

Illness:  Hilary Solomon, Katy Keeling

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Mark – brain infection

Michael, Kira – vulnerable youngsters

Defence of the unborn and the elderly

We are asked to pray for the Diocese of Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand, as the Northern Mission celebrates its centenary. The process of selecting a new bishop continues.