LiteraturePrayerSuffering

Flannery Prays for the Courage to Stand the Pain

Via The New Yorker, more profundity from Flannery O’Connor’s Prayer Journal, which hits shelves in […]

David Zahl / 9.23.13

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Via The New Yorker, more profundity from Flannery O’Connor’s Prayer Journal, which hits shelves in early November. One even detects a whiff of Louis CK in there (or vice versa):

Dear God, I am so discouraged about my work. I have the feeling of discouragement that is. I realize I don’t know what I realize. Please help me dear God to be a good writer and to get something else accepted. That is so far from what I deserve, of course, that I am naturally struck with the nerve of it. Contrition in me is largely imperfect. I don’t know if I’ve ever been sorry for a sin because it hurt You. That kind of contrition is better than none but it is selfish. To have the other kind, it is necessary to have knowledge, faith extraordinary. All boils down to grace, I suppose. Again asking God to help us be sorry for having hurt him. I am afraid of pain and I suppose that is what we have to have to get grace. Give me the courage to stand the pain to get the grace, Oh Lord. Help me with this life that seems so treacherous, so disappointing.

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COMMENTS

4 responses to “Flannery Prays for the Courage to Stand the Pain”

1. michael cooper says:

   09/23/2013 at 4:43 pm

   Flannery and Francis…they’re enough to make even the most hard-nosed Prod. want to take a swim.

   Reply
   • DBab says:

     09/23/2013 at 8:03 pm

     You are not so grumpy after all. I’m so looking forward to this ‘Prayer Journal’.

     Reply
2. Matt Patrick says:

   09/23/2013 at 10:14 pm

   Wow!

   Reply
3. Jason DesLongchamp says:

   09/27/2013 at 2:36 am

   I am an O’Connor fan, but I had no I had no intention of buying this book.

   Until I read this post. Now I have to have it.

   Reply