February Twenty-Eighth

WE SHALL not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Wilt be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall.

-- T.S. ELIOT "Four Quartets"

February Twenty-Seventh

OF ALL existing things some are in our power, and others are not in our power.
In our power are thought, impulse, will to get and will to avoid, and in a word, everything which is our own doing . . . . What disturbs men's minds is not events but their judgments on events.
. . . Ask not that events should happen as you will, but let your will be that events should happen as they do, and you shall have peace.

-- EPICTETUS

February Twenty-Sixth

EVERYMAN is me, I am his brother.
No man is my enemy.
I am Everyman
and he is in and of me.
This is my faith,
my strength,
my deepest hope,
and my only belief.

-- KENNETH PATCHEN

February Twenty-Fifth

Incline Thine Ear, O HaShem

A Prayer of David. Incline Thine ear, O HaShem, and answer me; for I am poor and needy. Keep my soul, for I am godly; O Thou my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee. Be gracious unto me, O Lord; for unto Thee do I cry all the day. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant; for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For Thou, L-rd, art good, and ready to pardon, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. Give ear, O HaShem, unto my prayer; and attend unto the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I call upon Thee; for Thou wilt answer me.

February Twenty-Fourth

O LORD our God, teach us, we beseech Thee, to ask Thee aright for the right blessings. Steer Thou the vessel of our life toward Thyself, Thou tranquil Haven of all storm-tossed souls. Show us the course wherein we should go. Renew a willing spirit within us. Let Thy Spirit curb our wayward senses, and guide and enable us unto that which is our true good, to keep Thy laws, and in all our works evermore to rejoice in Thy glorious and gladdening Presence. For Thine is the glory and praise from all Thy saints for ever and ever - Amen.

-- ST. BASIL, A.D. 379

February Twenty-Third

ONCE the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky.

-- RAINER MARIA RILKE

February Twenty-Second

WITH all my heart and soul, O God, I thank Thee that, in all the changes and chances of this mortal life, I can look up to Thee, and cheerfully resign my will to Thine. I have trusted Thee, O Father, with myself; my soul is in Thy hand, which I verily believe Thou wilt preserve from all evil; my body, and all that belongs to it, are of much less value. I do therefore, with as great security as satisfaction, trust all I have to Thee. I am persuaded that neither tribulation, nor anguish, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword, nor death which I may fear, nor life which I may hope for, nor things present which I feel, nor things to come which I may apprehend, shall ever prevail so far over me as to make me not to resign my will entirely to Thee - Amen.

-- THOMAS WILSON (1663-1755)

February Twenty-First

DEATH is the only wise adviser that we have.
Whenever you feel that everything is going wrong and you're about to be annihilated, turn to your death and ask if that is so.
Your death will tell you that you're wrong . . . . Your death will tell you, "I haven't touched you yet."

-- Don Juan, "Journey to Ixtlan"

February Twentieth

A Prayer of St. Anselm of Canterbury

Almighty God, you teach us by reason that all the riches of the world are made by you for our common use, and that by nature not one of them belongs to one human being more than to another; direct us, we pray, in obedience to your will, that all things may serve all people, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

February Nineteenth

PRAY with all your heart that love conquers all.
Pray with all your heart that if you can imagine it, you can do it.
Pray with all your heart that blood is thicker than water.
Pray with all your heart that you're as young as you feel.
Pray with all your heart these things - and more - are true.

-- by the blog author

February Eighteenth

O GOD,
Open our eyes that we may see the needs of others;
Open our ears that we may hear their cries;
Open our hearts that we may feel their anguish and their joy.
Let us not be afraid to defend the oppressed, the poor, the powerless, because of the anger and might of the powerful.
Show us where love and hope and faith are needed, and use us to bring them to those places.
Open our ears and eyes, our hearts and lives, that we may in these coming days be able to do some work of justice and peace for you. Amen.

Source: Sabeel Center

February Seventeeth

WE HEAR that a friend is whole again
And we praise the gods that be.
We understand that love is with us
And we praise the gods that be.
We see the sunrise or the sunset
And we thank the gods that be for our sight.
We hear the ocean or the wind or a baby's laugh
And we praise the gods that be.

We touch a satin face with gentle fingers,
We taste a meal when we are hungry,
We smell a fragrant flower on a hot summer day
And we thank the gods that be.

Thank you.

-- by the blog author

February Sixteenth

Litany of Resistance (the end)

From the arrogance of power, Deliver us.
From the poverty of violence, Deliver us.
From the tyranny of greed, Deliver us.
Deliver us From the ugliness of racism, Deliver us.
Deliver us From the politics of hypocrisy, Deliver us.
From the hysteria of nationalism, Deliver us.
From the cancer of hatred, Deliver us.
From the seduction of wealth, Deliver us.
From the addiction of control, Deliver us.
From the avarice of imperialism, Deliver us.
From the idolatry of national security, Deliver us.
From the despair of fatalism, Deliver us.
From the violence of apathy, Deliver us.
From the filth of war, Deliver us.
From the profanity of war, Deliver us.
From the necessity of war, Deliver us.
From the madness of war, Deliver us.
From the blasphemy of war, Deliver us.
From the brutality of war, Deliver us.
From the demonic waste of war and of preparation for war, Deliver us.
Deliver us, O God; Guide our feet into the ways of peace
In humility, we ask, Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.

Obedience to God comes before obedience to human authority
Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's
Let your will be done, not mine, With the help of God's grace.
Let us resist and confront evil everywhere we find it, With the help of God's grace.

With the waging of war, We will not comply.
With all preparation and training for war, We will not comply.
With the forces of fear, We will not comply.
With the legalization of murder. We will not comply.
With the legalization of genocide, We will not comply.
With laws that betray human life, We will not comply.
With the bombing of civilians, We will not comply.
With the bombing of cities, We will not comply.
With the violating of our earth, We will not comply.
With the destruction of peoples, We will not comply.
With the raping of women, We will not comply.
With governments that are blind to the sanctity of life, We will not comply.
With economic structures that impoverish and dehumanize, We will not comply.
With the manipulation and control of public information, We will not comply.
With economics that manufacture instruments of death, We will not comply.
With economics that practice the use of instruments of death, We will not comply.
With the perpetuation of violence, We will not comply.
With structures that divide rich from poor, We will not comply.
With the hypocrisy of political maneuvering, We will not comply.

With the help of God's grace, We will struggle for justice
With the compassion of Christ, We will stand for what is true
With God's abiding kindness, We will love even our enemies
With the love of Christ, We will resist all evil
With God's unending faithfulness, We will work to build the beloved community
With Christ's passionate love, We will carry his cross
With God's overwhelming goodness, We will walk as pilgrims of peace
With Christ's fervent conviction, We will labour for truth
With God's infinite mercy, We will live in solidarity with all people

In the end there are three things that last: Faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.

Let us abide in God's love.
Thanks be to God.

from www.anglocatholicsocialism.org

February Fifteenth

Litany of Resistance (continued)

Deliver us, O God. Guide our feet in the ways of your peace.
In humility, we ask, Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.
In humility, we ask, Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Free us from the bondage of sin and death
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world; Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.

For the victims of war, Have mercy
Women, men and children, Have mercy
The maimed and the crippled, Have mercy
The abandoned and the homeless, Have mercy
The imprisoned and the tortured, Have mercy
The widowed and the orphaned. Have mercy
The bleeding and the dying, Have mercy
The weary and the desperate, Have mercy
The lost and the forsaken, Have mercy
For those fleeing in terror, Have mercy

For our scorched and blackened earth, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For the scandal of billions wasted in war, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For our leaders who wage war in our name, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For our Caesars and our Herods, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For our generals and tacticians, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For the men and women in battle, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For the men and women training for war, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For the scientists and researchers, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For the arms dealers and the merchants of death, Forgive us for we know not what we do
For our taxes that fund the evil of war, Forgive us for we know not what we do
Deliver us, O God; Guide our feet into the ways of peace
In humility, we ask: Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.

February Fourteenth

A Litany of Resistance

Leader: Let us pray.

Leader: You have learned how it is said
All: Love your neighbour and hate your enemy

But I say this to you who are listening,

Love your enemies
Do good to those who hate you
Bless those who curse you
Be compassionate
Judge not
Do not condemn

Grant pardon

Because the amount you measure out Is the amount you will be given back
Let everything you do
Be done in love
Blessed are the poor
For theirs is the kingdom of God
Blessed are they who mourn now
For they will be comforted
Blessed are the meek
For they will inherit the earth

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice

For they will be satisfied
Blessed are the merciful
For they will be shown mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart
For they will see God
Blessed are the peacemakers
For they will be called the daughters and sons of God
Blessed are they who are persecuted because of righteousness
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

February Thirteenth

THANK you for memories so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for times we share,
Thank you for the ones who care.

Mama, Papa, gone now, true,
But forever - always with me and with you.
Beside us always, today and still
They live on now and always will.

We greet each day with joy and hope
And only ask somehow to cope.
Make us strong to bear loss and pain,
With every year, more love we gain.

-- by the blog author

February Twelfth

ETERNAL Lord, whose kingdom knows only the sword of righteousness and justice, and where your only power is love, send forth your spirit so that all the peoples of the earth will join together as children of one Father, for yours alone is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

February Eleventh

FOR Victims and Perpetrators of Injustice

For all those who have fallen victim to hatred and inhumanity, for those loved ones who are left behind to mourn, for the souls of those whose hearts are cold, Lord, hear our prayer. For the children who are being born into this world of conflict and violence, for women and mothers who suffer needlessly, Lord, hear our prayer. For all those who have been forced into unemployment, who long to return to work, for all those who struggle to support their families, Lord, hear our prayer. For the soldiers who are misguided in thinking that their bullets will bring about peace, for those who feel called to conscientiously object to military orders, Lord, hear our prayer. For the children who cry in their beds at night and wonder 'what have I done?', for the mothers and fathers who must try to explain the unexplainable, Lord, hear our prayer. For all the children who have died before their time, for the soldiers who allow their uniform to strip them of their humanity, for the healers who are denied the opportunity to use their gifts, Lord, hear our prayer. For the redemption of souls of both victim and perpetrator, for those who commit themselves to the forgiveness of sins, Lord, hear our prayer.

February Tenth

MAN is an animal that has to do something about his ephemerality.
He wants to overcome and be able to say, "You see, I've made a contribution to life. I've advanced life, I've beaten death, I've made the world pure."
But this creates an illusion. The dynamic of evil is the attempt to make the world other than it is, to make it what it cannot be, a place free from accident, a place free from impurity, a place free from death.

-- ERNEST BECKER
photo of Nancy Hanks Lincoln's grave, 1952, by Ralph Crane

February Ninth

An International Prayer for Peace

Join people of all faiths around the world who are praying this prayer at noon each day:

Lead me from death to life,
from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love,
from war to peace.
Let peace fill our heart, our world, our universe.
Peace, peace, peace.

Adapted from the Upanishads by Satish Kumar.

February Eighth

GOD of all times and places, you have brought us to the beginning of a new day. Surround us with your all-embracing love, and grant that this day we turn not aside into sin, nor be overcome by adversity, but let our thoughts, words, and deeds, in some small way, make for the coming of your Kingdom on earth.

February Seventh

SAINTS reign supreme
And cast out doubts there can be loss
Without gain.

-- by the blog author

February Sixth

LOVE peace,
Seek justice
Treasure your colleagues
Honor your students
Speak the Truth.

-- HUGO MAYNARD, Portland State Unviersity, 1993
Campaign of Truth, Life magazine image, 1951

February Fifth

IN THE very earliest time, when both people and animals lived on earth, a person could become an animal if he wanted to and an animal could become a human being.
Sometimes, they were people and sometimes animals and there was no difference. All spoke the same language. That was the time when words were like magic.
The human mind had mysterious powers. A word spoken by chance might have strange consequences. It would suddenly come alive and what people wanted to happen could happen -- all you had to do was say it. Nobody can explain this. That's the way it was.

-- AFTER NALUNGIAQ (ESKIMO) "Magic Words", photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt from Life magazine archives

February Fourth

YOU SAY that in times like these
You're driven down to your knees
Looking around grieving what peace there was
You promised yourself you would
Work for a world of good
Look at you now wondering what good it does

No lost hope no violent point of view
Can erase all of the good you do.

There's nothing as dark as night
But nothing so strong as light
Here is the choice to let it burn out or bright
In a world where the fear and force
Have buried the silent source
Can you deny the need for a light like yours?

-- Lyrics by Christine Kane, from "The Good You Do" on her CD "Right Outta Nowhere"

February Third

WALKING across Egypt, no shelter from the sun.
My journey has no stopping place
My journey's far from done.
Walking with Jesus, I shall not stop to rest
My faith is set before me, and my journey shall be blest.

Walking across Egypt, the distance may be great
His love will keep me walking
Bringing victory over hate.
Walking with Jesus, our children lead the way.
Come join me in my journey to the brightest day.

Walking across Egypt, to touch the face of God
The least who are among us place their feet where Jesus trod.
Jesus' hand will lead us and we shall never fear.
His love is here among us and the journey shall be dear.

Like Moses we are walking
Into the promised land.
We're walking across Egypt
Our hearts together band.
The bright hope of Jesus has led us all the way.
Hand in hand we'll travel to the brightest day.

February Second

DON'T BE SATISFIED with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.

-- RUMI
with image drawn and painted by Walter Crane

February First

A MAN has many skins in himself, covering the depths of his heart. Man knows so many things; he does not know himself. Why, thirty or forty skins or hides, just like an ox's or a bear's, so thick and hard, cover the soul. Go into your own ground and learn to know yourself there.

-- MEISTER ECKHART