Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart

Lord, soften my hard heart

Mark 3:7-12

Jesus entered the synagogue.  There was a man there who had a withered hand.  They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him.  He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us."  Then he said to the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?"  But they remained silent.  Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  He stretched it out and his hand was restored.  The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

 Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart

Lord, 

What is this?  It looks like they were going to do whatever they were going to do and they would find a reason to kill you no matter what.

You have given each of us a free will and it seems to be the thing that grieves you the most.  Our hadness of heart and hardnesss of head.  


Lord, I look at mama and see her hard heart and head and I see how it hurts her, how she holds on to the very things that perpetuate the pain she is in.  Pride, yes, it's pride.  And I know how I've been a slave, yes that's it, a slave to pride.  A slave because of the way it controls me.  Lord, I don't know how you do it.  How do you watch all your children hurt themselves over and over?  


I can understand the anger and grief.  I feel it often when I speak to J and yet I have to let her do what she's going to do.  Lord, I've had to learn so many things the hard way.  How could I expect anything different from her?  I can't but I hope and I know one day she will turn back to you.  Lord, you must have been grieved at my hardness of heart, even when I thought I was so holy like the Pharisees.  You were patient and forgiving and I know that's what you've called me to be.

Lord, hep me to be patient and forgiving to those I love who are not where I think they should be.  You have given me so many gifts.  You've given me faith, trust, love, understanding and wisdom.  You've given me the gift of yourself every single day in the Eucharist and on that day I sat in this exact same spot, you filled me with yourself.  You gave me all these things when I was far from you, when I did not deserve them.  Help me be patient and loving and to have the wisdom to know what to say it and when to just pray.  Lord, help my family come to you before it is too late and help me help them.  Amen