A Holiday Wish

The world is feverishly working to build the things of war,
The world is preparing destruction of a kind unknown before.
I hear much cursing of enemies, and arguments increase,
But oh, the world is longing, is yearning,
Is praying for peace--for peace!
Peace Pilgrim

Our lovely gentle hearted friend Carol is member of the Self-Realization Fellowship. Every year she sends us their beautiful engagement calendar. It's filled with stunning color photographs of natural scenes or animals, each one captioned with a quotation from Paramahansa Yagananda. Every page is a reminder of the beauty and value of the world we inhabit. I love just turning the pages and savoring and reflecting; and Mr S has saved many of the photos to use as starting points for writing projects with his sixth graders.



This year Carol included a wall calendar, too, the 2008 "Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Wall Calendar" from Nebraskans for Peace , and that is where the Peace Pilgrim quotation came from. Peace Pilgrim was a remarkable woman. Many years ago I had the privilege of hearing her speak, but to be honest, I hadn't thought of her in a long time. I was glad to be reminded.

So my holiday wish for myself and the world is hers and also that of St. Francis.

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;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.