—Patricia Monaghan
14
Hearing the Music of the World
How wonderful, O Lord, are the works of your hands!
The heavens declare Your glory,
the arch of the sky displays Your handiwork
In Your love You have given us the power
to behold the beauty of Your world
robed in all its splendor.
The sun and the stars, the valleys and the hills,
the rivers and the lakes all disclose Your presence.
The roaring breakers of the sea tell of Your awesome might,
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
bespeak Your wondrous will.
In Your goodness You have made us able to hear
the music of the world.
The voices of the loved ones
reveal to us that You are in our midst.
A divine voice sings through all creation.
—Ancient Jewish Prayer
15
A Perfect Love
AND GOD SAID TO THE SOUL:
I desired you before the world began.
I desire you now as you desire me.
And where the desires of two come together
The love is perfected.
HOW THE SOUL SPEAKS TO THE GOD:
Lord, you are my love, my longing,
My flowing stream, my sun,
And I am your reflection.
HOW GOD ANSWERS THE SOUL:
It is my nature that makes me love you often,
For I am love itself.
It is my longing that makes me love you intensely,
For I yearn to be loved from the heart.
It is my eternity that makes me love you long,
For I have no end.
—Mechthild of Megberg, Thirteenth Century Nun
16
The Day Is Done
Even here in America,
we felt the cool, refreshing breeze of freedom.
When Nelson Mandela took the seat of Presidency in his country
where formerly he was not even allowed to vote
we were enlarged by tears of pride,
as we saw Nelson Mandela’s former prison guards invited,
courteously, by him to watch from the front rows his inauguration.
We saw him accept the world’s award in Norway
with the grace and gratitude
of the Solon in Ancient Roman Courts,
and the confidence of African Chiefs from ancient royal stools.
No sun outlasts its sunset,
but it will rise again and bring the dawn.
—Maya Angelou
17
Some Things Are Worth Dying For
How do you say thank you to the men and women
who risked their lives, and lost their lives to secure our freedom,
our way of life, our peace and prosperity?
How do you say thank you to the men and women
who went through the most terrible experiences of their lives,
surrounded by death and carnage, losing friends and loved ones,
seeing things that would change their lives forever?
How do you say thank you to those who went through all this
with the belief that their one life, whether lost or saved,
could make a difference, had to make a difference, for our sake,
the generation they had not even met yet?
How do you say thank you to the men and women
who had faith in us before we were even born,
faith that we would become people worth fighting for,
and worth dying for?
—Military Prayer
18
Live the Life That Is Given to You
Your life is the only opportunity
that life can give you.
If you ignore it,
if you waste it,
you will only turn to dust.
—Rab’ia al-Adawiyya
19
Help Me Live a New Life
Dear Lord God,
cover my sins and guilt
with the righteousness
of your Son, my Savior.
Create in me a pure heart
and help me live a new life in you!
Amen.
—Jes Woller
20
Rite of the Righteous Woman
Dear God, please make us dangerous women.
May we be women who acknowledge our power to change,
and grow, and be radically alive for God.
May we be healers of wounds and righters of wrongs.
May we weep with those who weep and speak for those
who cannot speak for themselves.
May we cherish children, embrace the elderly,
and empower the poor.
May we pray deeply and teach wisely.
May we be strong and gentle leaders.
May we sing songs of joy and talk down fear.
May we never hesitate to let passion push us, conviction
compel us, and righteous anger energize us.
May we strike fear into all that is unjust and evil in the world.
May we dismantle abusive systems and silence lies with truth.
May we shine like stars in a darkened generation.
May we overflow with goodness in the name of God and by the power of Jesus.
And in that name and by that power, may we change the world.
Dear God, please make us dangerous women.
—Solano Sisterhood
21
Faith, Hope, and Charity
A faintish journey do I make
As through this frazzled world I wind,
With heavy heart and weary steps,
But with determined mind.
Beseech I for a flicker of
The faith that can a mountain move,
And hold that tenet close to me,
Believing where I cannot prove.
The pow’r that comes when sinking low
To