THE POWER OF PRAYER

A very brief post : very late last evening I had an email from an old friend requesting prayers for a seven-year-old girl named Lottie Pink, who was diagnosed few days ago with a very serious Brain Tumour, and is having surgery today at Great Ormond Street.

Obviously we all pray that, if it is God's will, she is restored to full health; but what, for me, was the most notable thing was the responses from the person who emailed me, and from Lottie's parents, to the feedback from my 'Prayer Mafia' - the various friends and acquaintances to whom I forward such requests.

My friend is Catholic; so the only thing which really surprised her was the speed of the response, and the breadth of my acquaintance (and, I have to say, she was perhaps a little amused that the first two responses I received were from two very distinguished religious - one Jesuit, one Dominican !).

Lottie's parents, however, are not Catholic : and they received an eye-opening introduction to the willingness of the Faithful to accept other people's burdens, and to support them in prayer, which I hope will be a great source of strength to them in this troubling time.