Verse of the day
Now may the God of peace give you peace at all times and in every circumstance. God be with you all!
– 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (The Inclusive Bible)
Voice of the day
We believers do not lose hope for a glimmer of conscience in those who hold the destinies of the world in their hands.
– Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Prayer of the day
Take any hate and acts of impulse from us; / make leaders wise, amid competing claims. / May we seek peace, O God of love and justice; / may love and mercy be our highest aims.
– Carolyn Winfrey Gillette “We Pray for Peace”
As I watch events unfolding in the Ukraine with a very heavy heart, I am reminded of history. When a ruthless dictator is allowed to wreak havoc without restraint, the common people are crushed in order to satisfy the hubris of a megalomaniac. Have we forgotten the lessons of the 1930’s and 1940’s? What about Mr. Gorbachev, tear down the wall? I well remember the Cold War and how the insanity of potential thermonuclear destruction was very real. Have we learned nothing from our past? Or are we condemned to repeat it in a new generation?
As I contemplate and pray… as I seek to see the light of peaceful and let that light shine on and through me, I am revisiting some mentors.
When I pray for peace, I pray not only that the enemies of my own country may cease to want war, but above all that my country will cease to do the things that make war inevitable. – Thomas Merton (New Seeds of Contemplation)
I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity. – President Dwight D Eisenhower (Address before the Canadian Club, Ottawa, Canada, 1/10/46)
Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God’s eyes. If only they could see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time, there would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed . . . I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other. – Thomas Merton (New Seeds of Contemplation)
As much as the world has an instinct for evil and is a breeding ground for genocide, holocaust, slavery, racism, war, oppression, and injustice, the world has an even greateer instinct for goodness, rebirth, mercy, beauty, truth, freedom and love. – Archbishop Desmond Tutu
My Lord God, may this world be guided by your Spirit of peace. I fervently pray that we may beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks. For the sake of the innocents caught in the crossfire… Dona Nobis Pacem et in Terra.
“The nonviolent person does not seek an impossible compromise with the times, nor a prior, intemperate synthesis for the times. The nonviolent person sees life in terms of a choice toward change, involving a re-ordering of life.”—Daniel Berrigan
Verse of the day
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
– 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Voice of the day
It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere. But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. [God] gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on this earth. It is an awesome opportunity.
– Cesar Chavez, “Statement by Cesar Chavez at the end of his 24-day fast for justice” (1972)
Prayer of the day
In this world of injustice, may we reach toward one another in encouragement and love.
“We are so accustomed to having the texts we need readily available, that I often wonder what it would be like if those words didn’t live on paper digitally but were inscribed on our hearts.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
How might you be shaped by the invitation of words learned by heart rather than continually accessed as text?
Verse of the day
I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
– 3 John 1:4
Voice of the day
Perhaps the most urgent work that we can do is to teach our children to learn the sacred ecosystem where God’s secrets are tucked away, where their own bodies grow and dwell.
– Lydia Wylie-Kellermann, “Raising Children for Joy in the Face of Climate Catastrophe“
Prayer of the day
Creator God, help us to show our children how to carry on the sacred work of protecting your creation, for in it, we uncover your secrets and grow in ourselves.
“There is great wisdom in designating a particular day to simply stop, despite whatever else may be going on in our lives. This is a reminder that our work is not the center of the universe and is an invitation to taste the eternal moment of time outside time.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
Can you open to the practice of eternal time by experimenting with allowing one day out of seven to be a time of release and renewal?
Every breath is grace
Longing for the sacred space of our prayer room
Yet traveling on the road
Spending time with our dear friends
Spending time with 2 of our boys
Denise spending time at a bridal shower
I was amongst God’s people on Broad St
I thought I was missing our sanctuary space
And then I realized it is all sacred space
Yes, every breath is grace
Inspired by Alana Levandoski’s song with James Finley on the album “Sanctuary” Every Breath Is Grace video
Verse of the day
Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
– 1 Peter 3:8
Voice of the day
To be just, it is not enough to refrain from injustice. One must go further and refuse to play its game, substituting love for self-interest as the driving force of society.
– Pedro Arrupe, SJ
Prayer of the day
When I move toward self-interest, point me back to love.
“Humility reminds us that we have limitations, and we can’t take on everything, which also enables us to commit to something and do it very well.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Illuminating the Way: Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
How does recognizing your own limits help you embrace your gifts more fully?
