"Lord, make me an instrument of thy 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."
~ from the Prayer of St. Francis
When I think of this prayer, the words usually come to mind in song, not spoken words. And what I hear is my voice blended within my Mother Seton high school glee club, harmonizing at our spring concert.
When I hear this now, just like back in the '60s when I was an idealist teenager,
I often experience shivers, tears, and a deep longing to live this way...not just me, but all of us.
Despite evidence to the contrary, I believe that caring for one another is our natural state. Deep inside we want to live in harmony. I know that many of you believe this too. May we not lose faith.
Now is the time to build a great chorus. Voices high and low from all cultures, countries
and creeds, singing in different languages but blending in the love language of the heart.
Imagine: hundreds, thousands, millions, billions of us striving to live the essence of this prayer as best we can, creating a beautiful harmony and restoring health and well being in a troubled world.
Consider making a commitment to practice this prayer each day.
Please join me. And when it appears that we are performing solo, may we keep on singing strong, while praying, visualizing, and trusting that a peace chorus is growing.
In love,
Charlene
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