If the price of gas goes down does that mean that God has intervened and answered the prayers? Somehow I don't think so.

For better health. A better bullpen for the Cardinals. An accepting mother-in-law. A winning hand at the poker table.

Hey!!! It could happen.

An old joke from my long-past Catholic school days illustrates the power of prayer: À boy wanted a new bike, but his parents couldn`t afford one. Every night before bedtime, he prayed as hard as he could for a new bike. After a couple of weeks with no bike, he took the family`s statue of the virgin Mary, wrapped it in newspaper and duct tape, put it in a shoebox and hid it under his bed. That night, he started his prayers with, ``Well, God, if you ever want to see your mother again, let`s talk about that bike...``