Becoming more of our best selves . . .

An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so, one morning, sent him for some salt. When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.

"How does it taste?" the master asked.

"Bitter," spit the apprentice.

The master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake, and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake."

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the master asked, "How does it taste?"

"Fresh," remarked the apprentice.

"Do you taste the salt?" asked the master.

"No," said the young man.

At this, the master sat beside this serious young man who so reminded him of himself and took his hands, offering, "The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. . . . Stop being a glass. Become a lake." 
(Author Unknown)

Awareness, Awareness, Awareness . . .

A little girl was sitting on her grandfather’s lap as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again.

Finally, she spoke up, “Grandpa, did God make you?”  “Yes, sweetheart,” he answered, “God made me a long time ago.”

“Oh,” she paused, “Grandpa, did God make me too?”  “Yes, indeed honey,” he said, “God made you just a little while ago.”

Feeling their respective faces again, she observed,
“Ya know Grandpa, I think God is getting better at it.”

(Author Unknown)

The courage to live . . .

There was a very cautious man

Who never laughed or played;

He never risked, he never tried,

He never sang or prayed.

And when he one day passed away

His insurance was denied;

For since he never really lived,

They claimed he never died!

Source unknown

Beatitudes . . .we are all blessed!

 

Reflecting on the Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit…

Do I fear being poor, in spirit or otherwise?

Do I prefer to be rich in money, brains or influence?

Blessed are those who mourn…

Do I grieve over the pain in the lives of others?

Do I mourn over war, poverty, hunger, injustice?

Blessed are the meek…

Do I understand nonviolence as a way to fight evil with good?

Do I live that way?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice…

Have I kept myself ignorant of current events that are clearly injustices?

Am I trying to improve life for others?

Have I kept silent when I should have spoken out against injustice?

Blessed are the merciful…

Are there places in my life where others are suffering because of my

lack of mercy?

What is my attitude toward capital punishment, ex-convicts, the poor?

Blessed are the pure of heart…

Am I open and honest about who I am?

Do I take time for prayer, solitude, community?

Blessed are the peacemakers…

Is my presence a source of peace?

Do I support violence in films, sports?

Have I read and supported official church statements against war and

violence in all its forms?

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…

Do I worship security and fear costly discipleship?

Who are my heroes?

Do I live a truly Christian life in witness to the teachings of Jesus?

Author/original source Unknown

 

A New Serenity Prayer

By James Martin, sj

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the people I cannot change,
which is pretty much everyone,
since I’m clearly not you, God.
At least not the last time I checked.

And while you’re at it, God,
please give me the courage
to change what I need to change about myself,
which is frankly a lot, since, once again,
I’m not you, which means I’m not perfect.
It’s better for me to focus on changing myself
than to worry about changing other people,
who, as you’ll no doubt remember me saying,
I can’t change anyway.

Finally, give me the wisdom to just shut up
whenever I think that I’m clearly smarter
than everyone else in the room,
that no one knows what they’re talking about except me,
or that I alone have all the answers.

Basically, God,
grant me the wisdom
to remember that I’m
not you.

Amen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Martin_(priest,_born_1960)

Dancing Francis ~ Viterbo University campus

A Franciscan Prayer for Peace

Lord, make us instruments of your Peace.  In a world all too prone to violence and revenge, we commit ourselves to the Gospel values of mercy, justice, compassion, and love.

We will seek daily to promote forgiveness and healing  in our hearts, our families, and our world. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; Where there is injury, let us cultivate peace.


Fear and distance prevent people from recognizing all as brothers and sisters;
tensions lead to violence and mistrust; We will strive to honor the dignity that God places in each and every human person.


Grant that we may not seek to be understood as to understand; To be loved as to love. Our failure to understand the other can create exclusion in all its negative forms – racism, marginalization of those who are poor, sick, the immigrant;
it can also create situations of domination, occupation, oppression and war.

We pledge to seek the way of solidarity, to create hearts, homes, and communities
where all people will experience inclusion, hospitality, and understanding.
For it is in giving that we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned and in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Let us Pray:
Lord God, create in us:
-the Capacity to hear and understand the voices of those who suffer from
every form of violence, injustice, and dehumanization;

-the Openness to receive and honor people from other cultures, languages,
religious traditions, and geographical regions;

-the Creativity to explore new ways of communication and dialogue through
music, poetry, performing arts, and the mass media;

-the Audacity to undertake the building of communities of forgiveness, healing,
and reconciliation.
To God who is above all and in all are the glory and the honor. Amen

Sharon Zaenglein Chipman Preaches for the Solemnity of the Trinity