Reflection authored by: Mary Jones, Parishioner
I was walking on our treadmill when I first read the chapter, “Offer It Up. That’s a phrase I heard while growing up and I immediately thought of my grandmother. She suffered from debilitating arthritis that prevented her from walking and her hands were permanently folded inward. She and Grandpa prayed the rosary every day but she also sacrificed her pain for “the souls in purgatory.” She didn’t take medicine for her pain but would instead “offer it up.”
Now, I don’t relate to people who are like Abby in the chapter who say they like to exercise but after I finished reading Chapter 15, my thought was to offer the remaining minutes on the treadmill for someone who really needed prayers. I chose a goddaughter who is being treated for breast cancer and shingles. Her chemotherapy treatments have been harsh and leave her very ill and the shingles have added to her misery.
My prayer for her became this mantra:
I love you, Jesus.
In your name I pray
For Cindy’s good health
Of body and soul.
Praying for her became very deliberate and focused. The mantra was repeated for the remaining minutes of my exercise time on the treadmill.
Praying for others doesn’t have to be physical. Recently a friend of ours was in the hospital. We lit a special candle and placed it in a central spot of our home. During the day we were reminded of the health crisis our friend was enduring and we offered prayers for him whenever we saw the candle.
Who needs your prayers? Try offering your day or a particularly vexing time of it. If you are feeling frustrated over any of the difficulties of 2020, get creative about offering up that frustration. Make a treat for someone who is lonely. Write a letter to someone in the military. Create a positive sign to hang in your window. Whenever you see a need, respond with love and prayer, just like Jesus taught us.
Using my grandmother’s example, find a way to
Offer It Up!