The Cloud of Unknowing

 I met up with another Secular yesterday and we got to discussing how groups can fail to thrive.  If the numbers in a group dwindle and it has to close, there may be mutterings about insufficient prayer.  The thought is that if we pray enough or believe enough in prayer, a group must thrive.  Is this really true?  After all, we don’t know the will of God.  Sadly, we know that many convents and monasteries have closed in recent years, including Carmelite ones – can we conclude that there was not enough prayer in them?  Ultimately there is a mystery here, and grace plays the largest part.  If a community thrives, that is a work of grace.  Why grace is given to that community and not to another, we do not know.  We may have our theories about what went wrong in human terms, but ultimately we do not know, for we live in The Cloud of Unknowing.

Intercessions

RIP Mervyn Leach, father of two Secular Carmelites

RIP Dean

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, Elena

Ivy – sick child

Brian (recovering from Pneumonia)

Kevin (heart attack)

William Gove (recovering from stroke)

Illness:  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.