In October 2024, the American Province launched Graced Moments, where every month, a Holy Child Sister shares a “grace-filled” experience that has influenced her life. The project flows from the Society’s mission “to help others to believe that God lives and acts in them and in our world.”
We thank Sandra Lincoln, a Sister of the Holy Child Jesus for 62 years, for offering her “graced moment.”
Feel free to leave a comment for Sister Sandra at the bottom of this page. Thank you!
How This Chemist Understands Intercessory Prayer
When we are asked for our prayers for people and situations in need of healing or help, I am tempted to wonder if our prayers can really be effective. But I am encouraged by quantum mechanics. In grade school, we all learned about decimals that seemed to go on and on like 1/3 = 0.33333 …
In their quest to describe reality, scientists used to believe that ignoring the tiny contributions of those far out decimal places could make little or no difference to the accurate outcome of their calculations. But when computers were developed that could take into account hundreds or thousands of these far-out decimal places, it was found that it could change the end result drastically! It was likened to a butterfly flapping its wings off the coast of Brazil, causing a hurricane off California. For me, this is a metaphor for intercessory prayer that made me realize, and gives me confidence, that prayer can have a tremendous effect on a situation. So even my tiny plea-ful prayers may make a great difference.
“It is not presumption to have hope and joy
and confidence in God’s grace.”
-Venerable Cornelia Connelly
What in Sister Sandra’s graced moment resonated with you? Please share below.
great metaphor! thanks very much, Sandra, Mary Ann
This really helped me realize that even the little requests help! I have so many daily pleas to God- some big and some tiny! All matter and He will answer! Thank you!
Thank you for this reminder of the difference prayer can make. I think prayer changes the pray-er as well.
Sandra your “graced moment “ was powerful not only in connection with the effect of the significant notations of numbers but also with the power that our prayers have in the lives of others. Thanks for the connection reflection. Shalom, Mary
Me gusto mucho su forma de entender como nuetras pequeñas oraciones pueden causar efectos mayores como las gotas qie llegan a un océano cada una de ellas forman los grandes mares, da la confianza que mi pequeña oración, no se pierde, sino es parte de algo más grande. Gracias Sandra
Thank you Sister Sandra for this reflection. The ‘butterfly effect’ indeed reminds me never to underestimate the effects prayers and tiny actions can have on a situation, especially when facing the impossible.
Thank you for sharing your insight (graced moments) that our “tiny plea-ful prayers” do make a great difference!
Thank you, Sr. Sandra, for this inspiration. I am delighted to have read this post, its a great reminder. I will continue to encourage young people and families who are in despair to pray and believe. And I will continue to pray and believe in the impact of even the slightest prayerful wishes. God bless you Sr.
Thank you, Sandra, for your blessed insight. How often we/I join with trust that our prayers are helping in so many needs.
Wonderful metaphor! This makes great sense, Sandra.
Thank you, Sandra, for reminding me that people’s intercessory prayers for me and mine own prayers for others are not wasted prayers. It’s a powerful reflection.
Thanks Sandra for this inspiring reflection.
It gives me the impetus to remember to pray for the many needs before us.
Francine
Thank you for sharing your special moment, Sandra. I appreciate the focus on the impact of little things including our tiny prayers offered often from a tiny heart. Blessings and peace.
Jeanne H.
Sandra, you have captured my own science/spiritual heart in this concise description of the relationship you see between science and intercessory prayer. I see it too. More and more my promise to pray for others’ particular needs over these years have become more numerous and meaningful and necessary I think to them and to me. I shared your reflection with one of our choir members just this week and she totally gets it. Many thanks.
Thanks, Sandra, for giving me that graced insight that even momentary prayers are effective. (And thanks for the photo with Mt Hood in the distance-no longer perpetually snow capped and a reminder to make even tiny plea-ful prayers … actions not words …that we earthlings will diligently/prayerfully act on behalf of our common home and, like the butterfly flapping its wings, reverse global warming.)
Well, I never! Thank you, Sandra, for your reflection. It takes a scientist to give such a profound breakdown to our “tiny plea-ful prayers”. Most often, they are whispered in the privacy of our loving, concerned hearts. However, the deluge of resultant grace is only known by the recipient who may not even connect the two – prayer & it’s fruit. Our loving God answers always, quietly or loudly! Thank you!