Living with Christ Morning Prayer

Living with Christ Morning Prayer
Friday, December 13, 2013

We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we played a dirge but you did not mourn. 

Jesus, I know just whom you’re talking about.
There’s a lot of them in my parish.
I work with a lot of them,
and sometimes I work for them.

No matter what you do, they’re never happy.
There’s always a “yeah, but…”
attached to any statement.

Jesus, you sound a little frustrated
in today’s gospel.
I understand.
They frustrate me too.

Please help me to gain the wisdom
and the patience to deal with the
never-satisfieds.

Help me to take valid criticism well,
but not let the “yeah, but…” crowd
pull me down.

And Jesus, if I can be honest with you,
I suspect I can sometimes be like this too.

Help me to see when I am like that.
Forgive me, and help me do better.

When called to offer a critique,
let me do so with kindness.
But make me think at least twice
when I feel like complaining.
Help me spend more time building up
than tearing down.
Let me never be naïve,
but it wouldn’t hurt me to focus more
on the good in people.

And with your help, Jesus,
I will try to do that today.

For a prayer for today from the Jewish tradition, see page 188 in the December issue of Living with Christ.