|
|
God, you have been with me all through the day, stay with me now. As the shadows lengthen into darkness let the noisy world grow quiet, let its feverish concerns be stilled, its voices silenced.
In the final moments of this day remind me of what is real, true, and good. But let me not forget that you were as present in the stresses of the day just past as you are now in the silence of this night.
You have made me for day and for night, for work and for rest, for both heaven and earth. Here in this night, let me embrace and not regret the mysterious beauty of my humanity. Keep me in the embrace of your unconditional love through the night, and the day to come.
Surround us with your silence and give us the rest that only you can give . . . peace now and forever.
(Adapted: My Day Is Ending, Evelyn Underhill . . . original source unknown)
Dear God,
Speak gently in my silence.
When the loud outer noises of my surroundings
and the loud inner noises of my fears
keep pulling me away from you,
help me to trust that you are still there
even when I am unable to hear you.
Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying:
"Come to me, you who are overburdened,
and I will give you rest . . .
for I am gentle and humble of heart."
Let that loving voice be my guide. Amen.
- Henri Nouwen
(Source Unknown)
|
|
Strength from Adversity
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several
hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.
Then the man decided to help the
butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of
the cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small,
shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the
butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and
expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the
butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and
shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and
haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle
required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of
forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be
ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what
we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any
obstacles it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have
been. And we could never fly.
--- Author Unknown ---
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
(Previously posted by Chuck Faso OFM
Author unknown)