“All things have a home: the bird has a nest, the fox has a hole, the bee has a hive. A soul without prayer is a soul without a home…Such a home is prayer. Continuity, permanence, intimacy, authenticity, earnestness are its attributes. For the soul, home is where prayer is…How marvelous is my home. I enter as a supplicant and emerge as a witness; I enter as a stranger and emerge as next of kin. I may enter spiritually shapeless, inwardly disfigured, and emerge wholly changed." — from the essay “On Prayer” by Abraham Joshua Heschel A Familiar Stranger: I saw a stranger today. I put food for him in the eating-place And drink in the drinking-place And music in the listening-place. In the Holy name of the Trinity He blessed myself and my family. And the lark said in her warble Often, often, often Goes Christ in the stranger's guise. "If you are going to follow Jesus, you'd better look good on wood." -Father Daniel Berrigan "The journey is the reward." Chinese Proverb The Avowal As swimmers dare to lie face to the sky and water bears them, as hawks rest upon air and air sustains them, so would I learn to attain freefall, and float into Creator Spirit's deep embrace, knowing no effort earns that all-surrounding grace. -Denise Levertov
| Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That's how the light gets in. (From "Anthem" by Leonard Cohen) O Lord, Open my eyes that I may see the needs of others; Open my ears that I may hear their cries; Open my heart so that they need not be without succor; Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong, not afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich. Show me where love and hope and faith are needed, and use me to bring them to those places. And so open my eyes and my ears that I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for Thee. Amen. Closing Prayer, “For Courage to Do Justice” Alan Paton, South Africa "All the world is a very narrow bridge, -Reb Nachman of Breslovand the most important thing is not to fear at all." Praying It doesn't have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention, then patch a few words together and don't try to make them elaborate, this isn't a contest but the doorway into thanks, and a silence in which another voice may speak. -Mary Oliver Good Shepherd, You have a wild and crazy sheep in love with thorns and brambles. But please don't get tired of looking for me! I know You won't. For You have found me. All I have to do is stay found -Thomas Merton |
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