Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims,
Over the past few weeks we have released the audio podcasts for the first three days of our Cultivating Seeds of Liberation Prayer Cycle. This prayer cycle is deeply rooted in our commitment to contemplative practice as a way to ground ourselves in loving action. Today we are excited to share Day 4 on the theme of Justice. Here are two excerpts from morning and evening prayer.
Day 4 Morning Opening Prayer by Claudia Love Mair
We come together today, O Lover and Protector of all, because we understand that all of creation is made by you. We are all one, holy family. Grant us your vision of a family of your making, in which all are loved, protected, and cared for, and no one has too much, while others have too little. Help us to see that though diverse, we are equally loved. We share in the dignity of belonging to you, your beloved creation. Help us return to this family of origin, for if some of us know injustice, none of us will possess true abiding peace. Give us the strength to be love, to heal each other and the planet.
Day 4 Evening Closing Blessing by Cassidhe Hart
The God of justice strengthens your eyes
that you might see the truth of the world
as it is and as it was made to be.
The God of justice strengthens your ears
that you might listen to freedom songs arise
from the places you had overlooked.
The God of justice strengthens your mouth
that you might speak the truth with boldness
and hold reverent silence for another’s voice.
The God of justice strengthens your lungs
that you might breathe through the hard moments
of trying and failing and seeking reconciliation.
The God of justice strengthens your hands
that you might reach out in compassion
for partners on the journey.
The God of justice strengthens your feet
that you might walk with urgency and with patience
toward the hope for a flourishing Creation.
May God ground you in expansive love,
dance with you in dynamic creativity,
and strengthen you to embody justice
in your own time and place.
We will continue to release the audio podcasts over the next three weeks. It is a true joy to create this prayer cycle and offer it as free resource to meet the challenges facing our world today.
Thank you for listening and praying with us.
With great and growing love,
Christine
Christine Valters Paintner, OblSB, PhD, REACE
P.S. Join Betsey Beckman and friends on Saturday, May 31st to celebrate the release of The Love of Thousands: Dancing with Angels, Saints, and Ancestors video collection. Many of the dances are featured in The Love of Thousands Prayer Cycle video podcasts.
