Smiters and smoothers

A close family member will be going into surgery at 9:00 this morning.  I will be sitting in a waiting room with other family members.

Any prayers will be much appreciated.  One of the beautiful things about the Catholic understanding of God is that we can pray after-the-fact.  Our belief is that God created everything, including time.  Therefore, God is not bound by the same "rules" regarding time that we are.

As Catholics, we believe we can offer prayers and God can intervene even though the time horizon for the event has transpired.  One explanation I heard is that God sends angels to protect us thousands of times throughout our lives.  Most of the time we are unaware of those angels. 

• A bump on a crowded sidewalk delays our progress enough that we are not hit by the driver who blew through a red light.
• A lost thing that we find in the place that we are sure we looked a thousand times before
• A person who offers a kind word when we most need it.

Prayers unleash battalions of angels who smite the devil and smooth our path.

And if we learned anything from Ferguson, it is that the past is surprisingly plastic and moldable.  Our 'understanding' of the past is under constant revision.

So don't be bummed if you get busy and miss the 9:00 surgery start.  Anytime during the day will be fine.  Those smiters and smoother will find the places where they are/were most needed and take care of business.