Be true to the Lady of the Stars,
Be true to thine own self besides,
True to the magic of Nature above all else.
Do not thou curse anyone,
Lest thou threefold cursed shouldst be,
And shouldst thou travel ocean and earth,
Follow the very step of the ancient trackways.
- Celtic Oral Tradition, 800 AD
A Prayer for All Prisoners
Abba Father, Loving God, our hope and our salvation
—Calm us –
Give us the assurance of your presence
—Empty us –
Make us pure vessels of your love
—Polish us –
Shine each of us to be a reflection of your grace
—Equip us –
Arm all of us, Father, to be your strong warriors.
Right now, today,
We are yours and we are thankful.
Amen.
- C. Lee Davis of the Prison Ministry
Fare Thee Well
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rains fall soft upon your fields,
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
- Irish Blessing
Prayer for Acceptance
O! Thou God of all beings, of all worlds, and of all times,
We pray that the little differences in our clothes,
in our inadequate languages,
in our ridiculous customs,
in our imperfect laws,
in our illogical opinions,
in our ranks and conditions which
are so disproportionately important to us
and so meaningless to you,
that these small variations
that distinguish those atoms that we call men,
one from another,
may not be signals of hatred and persecution!
- Voltaire, 1756
With a Strong Heart and a Cheerful Will
Almighty Father
whose way is in the sea
and whose paths are in the great waters
whose command is over all and whose love never faileth:
Let me be aware of Thy presence
and obedient to Thy will.
Keep me true to my best self
guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and in deed,
and helping me so to live
that I can stand unashamed and unafraid before my shipmates,
my loved ones, and Thee.
Protect those in whose love I live.
Give me the will to do the work of a man
and to accept my share of responsibilities
with a strong heart and a cheerful mind.
Make me considerate of those entrusted to my leadership and faithful to the duties my country has entrusted to me.
Let my uniform remind me daily
of the traditions of the Service of which I am a part.
If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith;
if I am tempted, make me strong to resist;
if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again.
Guide me with the light of truth, and keep before me the life of Him
by whose example and help I trust
to obtain the answer to my prayer,
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
- World War II - Naval Serviceman
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
God does not send us despair in order to kill us; he
sends it in order to awaken us to new life.
- Reflections - Hermann Hesse
Start Your Day With Thankfulness
When you arise in the morning,
give thanks for the morning light,
for your life and strength.
Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.
- Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief
Prayer to Start Every Day
Don’t worry,
be happy!
- Meher Baba, 1966
As You and I Are One
Father, may they all be one,
as you and I are one.
- John 17:11—The Final Prayer of Jesus
Prayer for Serenity
God, grant me
Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship
as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.
- Reinhold Niebuhr
Prayer for Health and Happiness
Om sarvetra sukhinah santu sarve santu niramayah.
Sarve bhadrani pasyantu ma kascid duhkhamapnuyat
Om shantih shantih shantih
Oh Almighty! May everybody be happy!
May all be free from ailments!
May we see what is auspicious!
May no one be subject to miseries!
Oh Almighty! May there be a Peace! Peace! Peace! Everywhere.
- The Rig-Veda, India, 3700 BC
Reverence for All Life
From childhood, I felt a compassion for animals. Even before I started
school, I found it impossible to understand why, in my evening prayers,
I should pray only for human beings. Consequently, after my mother
had prayed with me and had given me a good-night kiss, I secretly
recited another prayer, one I had composed