Prayer Requests

I had a phone interview on Friday, July 1st for a Youth Minister position in the Archdiocese of St. Louis at Sacred Heart Parish in Troy, Missouri.  I was nervous and excited (mostly nervous) about it, as the interview was over the phone.  Different styles of interviews have their own pros and cons, which everybody knows.  A few days before the interview, I had this brilliant idea to ask many of my friends to pray for me, that God's will be done and I accept it.

Well, there was something I had not thought about, the particular day, this year, was the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  For those who don't know, Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and asked her to request this Feast be celebrated on the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi, to atone for the ingratitude of humankind towards the sacrifice that Christ made for us.  More information on the Sacred Heart here.

So, I had asked for hundreds of prayers for me and the interview, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart (at Sacred Heart parish), and to accept God's will.  I should have really thought about what I was asking for.  The following Tuesday (the 5th), I was driving back to Terre Haute, Indiana (from my mini-vacation in Perryville, Missouri), when everything just clicked.  I realized that God had put it on the back of my mind and on my heart to re-enter the seminary for a reason.  I had been dealing with this for the last year and a half, so I finally said, "Yes, Lord."  I still have no idea what God has in store for me, but He wants me to do this for a reason.  The strange, but good, part is that I'm really glad that I capitulated.

Lesson #1: Prayer works
Lesson #2: When praying, and asking for prayers, it wouldn't necessarily hurt to specify exactly what you want, just to clear it up.  Asking for generalities and God's will to be done can open up a whole can of worms that aren't expected.  It can definitely take a person by surprise.
Lesson #3: Don't take people for granted.  Let them know you appreciate their prayers, and keep them updated. They said they'd pray for you for a reason.

Good times.