Finished the Doubting Thomas Novena

It was fascinating. I recommend it to anyone, at any stage of their faith journey. I found the vignettes from Thomas's life to be revealing and insightful - and the fact that they are legends from the ( Eastern) Indian Catholic community  founded by St Thomas is wonderful. I will be re-praying this novena, likely yearly.
  The I am doing the St Francis Novena with the gang at PrayMoreNovenas.com and struggling with it.   It seems seriously off to be praying my intention for a job that I can support myself and my mom, pay off old debts and be able to give mom some of the comforts and fun that we are used to as we age- while praying to be able to accept poverty as St Francis did.  I am on day 6 today - it is a hard novena to complete.
 I have also started praying St Gertrude's prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son,  Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

Information about it can be found here at  St Gertrude the Great's Prayer

In other news Mom is praying the St Anne - so she finally gotten over the hard feelings from the fight, which is good- I missed praying it with her this month.


Post Script - 2/17/2014. I simply can not finish the St Francis Novena.  I can not pray these words anymore "Pray for us that we enjoy the privilege of suffering with and for the poor in the example of Jesus" - enjoy the privilege of suffering with and for the poor?"  I *AM*  poor...destitute - it's not enjoyable, it's not something I can pray for to be enjoyable for myself or for anyone else. I want a way out of poverty and debt. Not a way to enjoy it.
   And for the past two days - I have been so very angry, I am having a hard time praying for anything...much less to enjoy being poor.  Please pray for me.