My Favorite part of the Christian Tradition

[undeterred]

Attributed to St Francis 13th century

Lord, make me an instrument of your 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.

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.


Happy Easter, to those who celebrate! :hi:

[classof56]

1. This is a favorite of mine, also.

Thank you for posting and Happy Easter to you!

[On the Road]

2. Even Been Set to Music Many Times

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFkjdFgqOY4

(there another version I like even more, but it's not on YouTube.)

[undeterred]

4. Sarah Maclachlan, how lovely!

I hadn't heard this before.

[fishwax]

11. I hadn't heard that version before

thanks for sharing it.

Going to Mass as a kid, that hymn (in a couple of different arrangements) was always among my favorites.

[nuxvomica]

3. That's my favorite prayer, too

Happy Easter back at ya. :hi:

[panader0]

5. I can't say I'm a Christian, but the values expressed above

are universal. My favorite parts of the Christian Tradition are The Sermon On The Mount, and !st Corinthians 13:13.
"So now faith, hope and love abide, but the greatest of these is love."

[Scuba]

8. +1

[WolverineDG]

6. I love that prayer

and do my best to live up to it.

Happy Easter :hi:

dg

[catabryna]

7. My favorite prayer...

thanks. :hi:

[Zorra]

9. And one of them, a doctor of the Law, putting him to the test,

asked him, "Master, which is the great commandment in the Law?" Jesus said to him, "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.' This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself'" On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:33-40)

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8

I'm sorry if some of my posts seem anti-Christian to you. They really are not. These posts are directed only at RW fundamentalist pseudo-christians that use religion as a vehicle to justify evil actions. I fully understand the total difference between them, and y'all.

Happy Easter, to all my Christian brothers and sisters.

Enjoy your Holiday!

[MineralMan]

10. Wisdom is beyond religion.

These are excellent words, even though I can't believe the last couplet. Every religion contains wisedom, mixed with it's unique beliefs. It is that wisdom that is held in common that is the true teaching, in my opinion.

[xchrom]

12. Recommend

[LeftishBrit]

13. I like the sentiments, but unfortunately they were marred for me and many Brits...

by being used by Maggie Thatcher in her first speech after being elected in 1979, standing on the steps of 10 Downing Street.

[undeterred]

14. When Ronald Reagan was giving his acceptance speech in 1980

I was watching his 1951 film "Bedtime for Bonzo" which was certainly better than anything that happened during his administration...so I have no memory of his speech.

[intaglio]

15. Surely this can be restated without reference to any deity

I wish an instrument of 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.

I would seek to console, rather than be consoled;
to understand, rather than be understood;
to love, rather than to be loved.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that our life is completed.

Easter is not just for Christians - so Happy Easter!

[undeterred]

16. yes, I think it is ultimately about unselfishness...

it is the complete opposite of the "gimme" prayer

[eridani]

28. It's actually pagan, but pagans are supposed to share

So now it's Christian too.

[undeterred]

29. Well, big thanks to the pagans!

[intaglio]

17. As an addendum it is also Passover n/t

[grasswire]

18. I always liked the simple sentiment in "Let there be peace on earth"

Yes, not terribly eloquent, and an uninspired melody that a soloist can render even worse. But it reminds me to be a better person.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth; the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father, brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now
With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow
To take each moment, to fill each moment with peace and harmony
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.

[krabigirl]

19. Me too, and I am certainly not Christian.

[Renegades of Funk]

20. Favorite Prayer

This is my favorite prayer I went to a Franciscan high school and I am actually wearing my Tao Cross. Really great prayer about actions and doing.

[undeterred]

21. Gotta love a religious order that blesses the animals

and cares about the poor.

[emilyg]

22. Happy Easter.

[Zorra]

23. _^_

[undeterred]

24. :-)

:hi: Happy Easter!

[bvar22]

25. That, and the Sermon on the Mount...

..is ALL anyone needs to know to be a good Christian (or Human Being),
and ALL you need to know to have Peace of Soul.

You can throw the rest of the Bible and Religious Dogma in the trash.

[Odin2005]

26. I'm an Atheist, but I've always liked St. Francis.

He was in many ways the West's first Tree-Hugger.

[undeterred]

27. Thats true.

There are few others who really seemed to appreciate animals and nature as part of the creation in their own right and write about it the way he did.

[maxrandb]

30. Around 400AD, St. John Chrysostum penned this Easter Sermon

Still one of my favorites. If you ever hear the expression of those that "come at the 11th hour", this is where that phrase came from.

============================================
If any have laboured long in fasting,
Let him how receive his recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour,
Let him today receive his just reward.
If any have come at the third hour,
Let him with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour,
Let him have no misgivings;
Because he shall in nowise be deprived therefore.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour,
Let him draw near, fearing nothing.
And if any have tarried even until the eleventh hour,
Let him, also, be not alarmed at his tardiness.

For the Lord, who is jealous of his honour,
Will accept the last even as the first.
He giveth rest unto him who cometh at the eleventh hour,
Even as unto him who hath wrought from the first hour.
And He showeth mercy upon the last,
And careth for the first;
And to the one He giveth,
And upon the other He bestoweth gifts.
And He both accepteth the deeds,
And welcometh the intention,
And honoureth the acts and praises the offering.

Wherefore, enter ye all into the joy of your Lord;
Receive your reward,
Both the first, and likewise the second.
You rich and poor together, hold high festival!
You sober and you heedless, honour the day!
Rejoice today, both you who have fasted
And you who have disregarded the fast.
The table is full-laden; feast ye all sumptuously.
The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away.
Enjoy ye all the feast of faith:
Receive ye all the riches of loving-kindness.

Let no one bewail his poverty,
For the universal Kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one weep for his iniquities,
For pardon has shown forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death,
For the Saviour's death has set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.

By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive.
He embittered it when it tasted of His flesh.
And Isaiah, foretelling this, did cry:
Hell, said he, was embittered
When it encountered Thee in the lower regions.

It was embittered, for it was abolished.
It was embittered, for it was mocked.
It was embittered, for it was slain.
It was embittered, for it was overthrown.
It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.


O Death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?

Christ is risen, and thou art overthrown!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life reigns!
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
Is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be glory and dominion
Unto ages of ages.

Amen.