Leaves of Faith

Kenyan Prayer

From the cowardice that dare not face new truth, from the laziness that is contented with half truth, from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth, good Lord, deliver us.

Prayer of Rabi'a al-Adawiyya

O my Lord, if I worship Thee from fear of Hell, burn me in Hell, and if I worship Thee in hope of Paradise, exclude me thence, but if I worship Thee for Thine own sake withhold not from me Thine eternal beauty.

Om Shanti, from the Rig Veda

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. (O God), Lead Us From Untruth To Truth, Lead Us From Darkness To Light, Lead Us From Death To Immortality, Om (Let There Be) Peace Peace Peace.

Prayer of Lawa'ih Jami

O God, deliver us from preoccupation with worldly vanities, and show us the nature of things, "as they really are." Remove from our eyes the veil of ignorance, and show us things as they really are. Show us not non-existence as existent, nor cast the veil of non-existence over the beauty of existence. Make this phenomenal world the mirror to reflect the manifestation of Thy beauty, not a veil to separate and repel us from Thee. Cause these unreal phenomena of the Universe to be for us the sources of knowledge and insight, not the causes of ignorance and blindness. Our alienation and severance from Thy beauty all proceed from ourselves. Deliver us from ourselves, and accord to us intimate knowledge of Thee.

Serenity Prayer

GOD, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference. - attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr

Prayer of Thomas Merton

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them, anyway.

- Mother Theresa

Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort,

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger,

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears,

To shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness,

To believe that you can make a difference in this world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen.

Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila

Lord Christ, You have no body on earth but ours, No hands but ours, No feet but ours. Ours are the eyes through which your compassion must look out on the world. Ours are the feet by which you may still go about doing good. Ours are the hands with which you bless people now. Bless our minds and bodies, That we may be a blessing to others. Amen.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred ... let me sow love
Where there is injury ... pardon
Where there is doubt ... faith
Where there is despair ... hope
Where there is darkness ... light
Where there is sadness ... joy

Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled ... as to console
To be understood ... as to understand,
To be loved ... as to love

For it is in giving ... that we receive,
It is in pardoning ... that we are pardoned,
It is in dying ... that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

 

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