Change of Heart

"I do believe that our prayers can change the heart of God "

I read this in a blog this morning, and I am quoting it out of context because I don't even remember the context, don't remember which blog, and have already cleared my computer history. The sentence, however, has stayed with me. Prayers can change the heart of God.

I don't think it's God's heart that changes. Prayer changes our hearts. The patient and  constant love that is the heart of God needs no changing. We, on the other hand, can use all the help we can get. Our human love, when we have it at all, is conditional. Flighty. Or, to put it kindly, nuanced at the very least. Prayer is what God uses to re-balance us toward his infinite mercy, to remind us that we are loved and that the only response required is to love him right back, and love all that he loves. Which is everyone and every thing. Every stick, every cloud, every clever parrot (R.I.P. Alex the Grey), every ripple of water, and every human being. No exceptions. Which is really difficult. Perhaps impossible on our own, and sometimes we do not want to lean toward God, to talk to him. Sometimes we don't know how to even begin.

But we have help. St. Paul wrote: "The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness, for, when we do not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit personally makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words, and he who can see into all hearts knows what the Spirit means..." And Jesus reminds us that he is everyone and everything, doesn't he, when he says, "insofar as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me."  This kindness, or this neglect. Our choice. But the opportunity for a loving response is always here. Every moment one's heart can break, and break wide open.