Living Lent . . .

A reporter was covering that tragic conflict in the middle of Sarajevo, and he saw a little girl shot by a sniper. The reporter threw down his pad and pencil, and stopped being a reporter for a few minutes. He rushed to the man who was holding the child, and helped them both into his car.

As the reporter stepped on the accelerator, racing to the hospital, the man holding the bleeding child said, "Hurry, my friend, my child is still alive."

A moment or two later, "Hurry, my friend, my child is still breathing."

A moment later, "Hurry, my friend, my child is still warm."

Finally, "Hurry. Oh my God, my child is getting cold."

When they got to the hospital, the little girl had died. As the two men were in the lavatory, washing the blood off their hands and their clothes, the man turned to the reporter and said, "This is a terrible task for me. I must go tell her father that his child is dead. He will be heartbroken."

The reporter was amazed. He looked at the grieving man and said, "I thought she was your child."

The man looked back and said, "No, but aren't they all our children?"
(Source/author unknown)

Lenting . . .

Lenten Litany on Fasting and Feasting

Fast from judging others;
Feast on the Christ indwelling them.
Fast from emphasis on differences;
Feast on the unity of all life.

Fast from apparent darkness;
Feast on the reality of light.
Fast from thoughts of illness;
Feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from words that pollute;
Feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger;
Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism;
Feast on optimism.

Fast from worry;
Feast on divine order.
Fast from complaining;
Feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives;
Feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures;
Feast on unceasing prayer.

Fast from hostility;
Feast on non-resistance.
Fast from bitterness;
Feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern;
Feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety;
Feast on eternal Truth.

Fast from discouragement;
Feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress;
Feast on truths that uplift.

Fast from lethargy;
Feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion;
Feast on truth.

Fast from thoughts that weaken;
Feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from shadows of sorrow;
Feast on the sunlight of serenity.

Fast from idle gossip;
Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm;
Feast on prayer that undergirds.

- William Arthur Ward
(American author, teacher and pastor, 1921-1994)
Original Source Unknown

The Wonder of Love. . .

 

 

The Seven Wonders of the World 

Author/Source Unknown
 

 Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes:
 1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
 2. The Taj Mahal in India
 3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
 4. The Panama Canal
 5. The Empire State Building
 6. St. Peter's Basilica
 7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.

The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

 The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:
 1. to touch...
 2. to taste...
 3. to see...
 4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...)
 5. to feel...
 6. to laugh...
 7. and to love.

 The room was so quiet; you could have heard a pin drop.

The Courage to Be Myself . . .

I have the courage to . . .
Embrace my strengths ~
Get excited about life ~
Enjoy giving
and receiving love ~ Face and transform
my fears ~ Ask for help and support
when I need it ~
Spring free of the Superwoman Trap~
Trust myself ~ Make my own decisions
and choices ~ Befriend myself ~ Complete
unfinished business ~
Realize that I have
emotional and practical rights ~
Talk as nicely to myself
as I do to my plants ~ Communicate
lovingly with understanding as my goal ~
Honor my own needs ~
Give myself credit for my accomplishments ~
Love the little girl within me ~
Overcome my addiction to approval ~
Grant myself permission to play ~
Quit being a Responsibility Sponge ~
Feel all of my feelings and act on them
appropriately ~

Nurture others because
I want to, not because I have to ~
Choose what is right for me ~ Insist on being
paid fairly for what I do ~
Set limits and boundaries and stick by them ~
Say “yes” only when I really mean it ~
Have realistic expectations ~ Take risks and
accept change ~ Grow through challenges ~
Be totally honest with myself ~
Correct erroneous beliefs and assumptions ~
Respect my vulnerabilities ~

Heal old and current wounds ~
Savor the mystery of Spirit ~
Wave good-bye to guilt ~ Plant “flower,”
not “weed” thoughts in my mind ~
Treat myself with respect and teach others
to do the same ~
Fill my cup first, then nourish
others from the overflow ~
Own my own excellence ~
Plan for the future but live
in the present ~
Value my
intuition and wisdom ~
Know that I am lovable ~
Celebrate the differences between
women and men ~ Develop healthy,
supportive relationships ~
Make forgiveness a priority ~
Accept myself just as I am now ~

(Author and Source Unknown)

Blessing of Love . . .

Let these words
lay themselves
like a blessing
upon your head,
your shoulders,
As if,
like hands,
they could pass on
to you what you most need
for this day,
as if they could
anoint you
not merely for
the path ahead
but for this
ordinary moment
that opens itself
to you - -

opens itself
like another hand
that unfurls itself,
that reaches out
to gather
these words
in the bowl
of its palm.

You may think
this blessing
lives within
these words,
but I tell you
it lives
in the reaching;
it lives
in the ache
where this blessing
begins;
it lives
in the hollow
made by the place
where the hands
of this blessing
meet.

From: Circle of Grace by Jan Richardson
http://www.janrichardson.com/index.htmlichardson.com

A Prayer of Loving . . .

 

A Prayer by St. Anselm of Canterbury
 
O my God, teach my heart where and how to seek You,
where and how to find You.

You are my God and You are my all and I have never seen You.
You have made me and remade me,
You have bestowed on me all the good things I possess,
Still I do not know You.

I have not yet done that for which I was made.
Teach me to seek You.
I cannot seek You unless You teach me
or find You unless You show Yourself to me.

Let me seek You in my desire,
let me desire You in my seeking.

Let me find You by loving You,
let me love You when I find You.
Amen

Prayer of Love. . .

  

 

Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is,
than falling in love in a quite absolute final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekend,
what you read, who you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love,
stay in love,
and it will decide everything.

 

Prayer attributed to Fr. Pedro Aruppe, S.J.

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-voices/20th-century-ignatian-voices/pedro-arrupe-sj/