Prayers for Hard Times. Becca Anderson

Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

      - Patricia Morrison, Crane Dance Collective, 1956

      What God Sows In the Heart

      Give over thine own willing;

      give over thine own running;

      give over thine own desiring

      to know or to be anything;

      and sink down to the seed

      which God sows in the heart,

      and let that grow in thee,

      and be in thee,

      and breathe in thee,

      and act in thee,

      and thou shalt find by sweet experience

      that the Lord knows that,

      and loves and owns that,

      and will lead it to

      the inheritance of life,

      which is its portion.

      - Isaac Pennington, 1661

      An Irish Prayer

      May God give you

      For every storm, a rainbow

      For each tear, a smile

      For every care, a promise

      And a blessing in each trial.

      A faithful friend to share,

      For every sigh, a sweet song,

      And an answer for each prayer.

      May the blessing of God’s soft rain be on you.

      - From Irish Oral Tradition

      God’s Blessing Will Always Be Upon You

      May the blessing of God’s soft rain be on you,

      Falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul

      With the sweetness of little flowers newly blooming.

      May the strength of the winds of Heaven bless you,

      Carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean

      Sparkling after in the sunlight.

      May the blessing of God’s earth be on you,

      And as you walk the roads,

      May you always have a kind word

      for those you meet.

      - Traditional Irish Blessing

       March

       A Season of Change

      “Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater.”

      —William Hazlitt

      “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”

      —Thich Nhat Hanh

      “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.”

      —Robert Schuller

      “Prosperity is not without many fears and disasters; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.”

      —Francis Bacon

      Shine the Light of Love

      May the blessing of light be upon you.

      May the blessing of light be upon you,

      Light on the outside,

      Light on the inside.

      With God’s sunlight shining on you,

      May your heart glow with warmth,

      Like a turf fire

      that welcomes friends and strangers alike.

      May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes,

      Like a candle in the window,

      Welcoming the weary traveler.

      —Traditional Irish Blessing

      Irish Travelers Blessing

      May the Hand of a Friend Always Be Near You

      May there always be work for your hands to do;

      May your purse always hold a coin or two;

      May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

      May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

      May the hand of a friend always be near you;

      May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

      - Traditional Irish Blessing

      Never Give Up

      I will not die an unlived life.

      I will not live in fear

      of falling or catching fire.

      I choose to inhabit my days,

      to allow my living to open me,

      to make me less afraid,

      more accessible,

      to loosen my heart

      until it becomes a wing.

      - Dawna Markova

      We Are All In This Together

      All human beings are limbs of each other,

      having been created of one essence.

      When time affects a limb with pain,

      The other limbs cannot at rest remain.

      If thou feel not others’ misery,

      A human being is no name for thee.

      - Sa’adi, Persian Poet, 1270

      Asking Forgiveness

      O little self, within whose smallness lies

      All that man was, and is, and will become,

      Atom unseen that comprehends the skies

      And tells the tracks by which the planets roam;

      That, without moving, knows the joys of wings,

      The tiger’s strength, the eagle’s secrecy,

      And in the hovel can consort with kings,

      Or clothe a god with his own mystery.

      O with what darkness do we cloak thy light,

      What dusty folly gather thee for food,

      Thou who alone art knowledge and delight,

      The heavenly bread, the beautiful, the good.

      O living self, O god, O morning star,

      Give us thy light, forgive us what we are.

      - John Masefield, 1915

      Keep Me Safe Forever

      Bless, O Mistress of Magic,

      Myself and everything anear me,

      Bless me in all my makings,

      And keep me safe forever.

      Keep me safe forever.

      From every unclean spirit and sending,

      From every evil wish and cursing,

      From every wicked spell and glamour,

      From every star that frowns upon me,

      Save