By Paulo Coelho
A protestant priest, having started a family, no longer had any peace for his prayers. One night, when he knelt down, he was disturbed by the children in the living room.
"Have the children keep quiet!" he shouted.
His startled wife obeyed. Thereafter, whenever the priest came home, they all maintained silence during prayers. But he realized that God was no longer listening.
One night, during his prayers, he asked the Lord: "what is going on? I have the necessary peace, and I cannot pray!"
An angel replied: "He hears words, but no longer hears the laughter. He notices the devotion, but can no longer see the joy."
The priest stood and shouted once again to his wife: "Have the children play! They are part of prayer!"
And his words were heard by God once again.
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My young nephew wanted to join in a Rosary that was being said by the family. I was surprised to hear that he knew the prayers but he had such a concentrated and solemn look on his face that I could not stop laughing.
Also my sister decided to bring my 3 year old niece to mass one day. She had her arm around this lady that she didn’t know and was playing with this ladies hair. Then decided that she was going to give this sweet old lady a big kiss on the mouth lol. I tried my best to pull her off this poor old soul but to no avail. Her legs were in the air but her arms were tightly wound around the woman’s neck. The lady had a really shocked look on her face and was just frozen in place. Finally my niece let go and I could not stop laughing when I saw that she now had bright red lipstick on.
Kathleen xxoo
We had a birthday celebration for my 7 years old daughter
this sunday.
And me and my husband also had a really good time :-)
We were joining in their games and we had so much fun.
That is living for the moment and enjoy!!
And I saw that the children also thought it was fun that
we were joining.
This was one of the best time for me in a long time.
And about time for prayer ..I think that we can allow the children to join us and pray in their own way. I know I did since I was a little child, I also had a Bible for children
with illustrations :-)
And my youngest daughter of age 5 she oftens talk about God and have a lot of questions and I try to answer them as good as I can.
I have a prayer for children that is really good and have helped me many times
(but I must tranlate it from Swedish to English, I dont know if this is a proer tranlsation but I try):
God as have the children dear,
look after me as little is.
Wherever my world and luck is turning,
that lies always in Gods hands.
In Swedish:
Gud som haver barnen kär, se till mig om liten är, vart min värld och lycka vänder, det står allt uti Guds händer.
We have to try to see the world of magic like the children does, nothing is impossible :-)
Love Jessica
Nice story.I have two nephews,and is a great joy spending time with them.Life could be very empty without childrens around.Fortunately,they love me and they are also happy if I play with them.
It’s a joy to see you here again dear Annie…;) Welcome back x
Shut up!… Don’t do that!… don’t do this!… don’t make noise!…
Aren’t Children really sick of these words…? and don’t they feel like second class citizens, instead of being loved for what they are?
… “Our Future”…
Let the children play, love them with all your heart, Paul
To enjoy children s play and laughter, or the nature, or any creation is worship better than any. The first Catholic Church I ever entered was; Sacre-Cæur Basilica in Paris. For a luthean used to people chit chatting, nursing babies, eating lunch and being really loud at the place of worshiping, I had a revelation in this silent, awesome house of God. A time to play and a time to pray.
Should I mention I ate snails simmered in garlic butter, another thing done for the first time in my life, at Montmartre, after the visit to the Church…
Eu acho que faz bem para as crianças começarem a entender que em determinadas situações há de se comportar para o favorecimento delas mesmas. Eu falo através da minha experiência como mãe de dois meninos, um de 16 outro de 6. É claro que é um delícia escutar o sorriso e as brincadeiras das crianças , mas as vezes é necessário fazê-las entendender que existe outros movimentos.
Por exemplo quando meu filho mais velho tinha quatro anos e eu o levava à missa comigo, ele ficava correndo a igreja toda, até que ele percebeu que era o único que fazia isso e passou a sentar-se. O mais novo já adora os cantos da missa, vai lá na frente falar com o padre, que também adora ele. Mas quando os dois começam a se estapear na igreja, isso me irrita muito. Mesmo que eu sente no meio deles, tem momentos que são desgradáveis e eu tenho que chamar atenção, porque pertuba.
Por exemplo em casa quando estou orando e eles querem estar junto, tudo bem. Mas se começam a puxar um ao outro no meio da oração como já aconteceu eu sou obrigada a parar. Isso me irrrita mesmo porque eu acho falta de respeito comigo também. Se eu não obrigo-os, então eles que respeitem o meu momento.
Então eu acho bacana, para que as crianças respeitem mais os momentos da oração dos pais, escutar as vezes melodias relegiosas ou cantos. Acalma e o astral fica bom.
Beijos,
Mari Raphael.
If peace is within us, nothing can disturb our prayer, especially not inocent cries of children joy.
The Joy is The Prayer, The Lord is The Joy.
If we need external silence and peace to be able to pray, then something is wrong with us.
The Creator is The Joy and if our life mirrors its joy we are on good path.
Luce
What i understand from this story, is that laughter and joy is part make Life more beautiful…ANd God doesnt want us to be sad , or very serious…after all our life is just a part of a Big Play, we should make the most of it…and play our role beautifully…
(and then hear the clap clap!! ;) )
Love and Graditude
Annie
In meditation, prayer, reading and in every task of everyday life concertration is the KEY. The ability to close ‘out’ anything that distracts us from our object. So our priest, in the story, could not really put all his zeal in his communication with God. Instead of diving into his Soul and closing his material senses, his attention was in the… next room.
Children playing, singing laughing are the sounds of joy. I wish all the children of the World are joyful and happy and NOISY!!
LOVE,
THELMA
Sure. I never liked things too solemn. I remember when I was a child, I felt bereavement around. Though I was told inner, there could be joy with.
I don’t understand why we react so sadly towards death. Of course someone is going, but in God’s House, if people know the late is about to join up with the Whole.
Cries sure, but laughters and dance should be prescribed. In my childhood until today, I always saw the sadness of people and that’s all.
Why I say that now? I went far… I surely don’t know. :)
I wish we change our sight towards death.
As ourselves God prefers to rejoice
With Love