Poets & Saints

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NRSVUE)  

Give thanks in all circumstances,  

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Gratitude opens my heart to God.

Mary Oliver  

“It is a serious thing  

just to be alive  

on this fresh morning  

in this broken world.  

I give thanks for the mystery of it—  

for the grass underfoot,  

for the air moving through my lungs,  

for the chance  

to love what is before me.”  

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Colossians 1:17 (NRSVUE)  

He himself is before all things,  

and in him all things hold together.

All things are held together in Christ.

Teilhard de Chardin  

“By virtue of creation,  

and still more of the Incarnation,  

nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see.  

The divine spark is everywhere,  

hidden in matter as fire is hidden in stone.  

To live is to set that fire free—  

to awaken to the communion of all things.”

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Matthew 5:9 (NRSVUE)  

Blessed are the peacemakers,  

for they will be called children of God.

I carry peace wherever I go.

John Lewis  

“Peace is not simply the absence of war or tension—  

it is the presence of justice,  

the manifestation of compassion,  

the active pursuit of reconciliation.  

True peace does not come by standing still—  

it comes when love steps forward.”

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John 1:4–5 (NRSVUE)  

In him was life,  

and the life was the light of all people.  

The light shines in the darkness,  

and the darkness did not overcome it.

The light within me is the life of God.

Rabindranath Tagore  

“The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day  

runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.  

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth  

in numberless blades of grass  

and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.  

And so, whenever my heart grows dim,  

I remember:  

the light within me is the life of God.”

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Scripture:

Ephesians 5:8-9 (NRSVUE) — “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light; for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.”

Refrain:

I turn toward the light and walk in grace.

Quote:

Wendell Berry: “It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”

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Scripture:

Luke 22:42 (NRSVUE) — “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”

Refrain:

I surrender into love.

Quote:

Thomas Merton: “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. But I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.”

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Scripture:

Isaiah 30:15 (NRSVUE) — “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

Refrain: In stillness, I remember who I am.

Quote:

Thomas Keating: “Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation. In the silence of the heart, God speaks more than words—She is not limited to sound. Be still and let Him be God in you.”

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Matthew 11:28 (NRSVUE) — “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Refrain:

I release what no longer brings life.

Quote:

Rainer Maria Rilke: “I am circling around God, around the ancient tower, and I have been circling for thousands of years, and I still don’t know if I am a falcon, or a storm, or a great song. All that matters is that I keep circling, that I keep releasing what keeps me from flight.”

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Scripture:

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NRSVUE) — The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Refrain:

Grace meets me in the new beginning.

Quote:

Jan Richardson

“Still, this blessing comes— a quiet breath, a gentle nudge, a hand placed lightly at the small of your back as you move toward what is waiting for you. This blessing is not a map. It is not a cure. But it is a beginning, and it says start here.”

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2 Corinthians 3:18 (NRSVUE)  

And all of us, with unveiled faces,  

seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror,  

are being transformed into the same image  

from one degree of glory to another;  

for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

I become what I behold in love.

St. Clare of Assisi  

“Gaze upon Christ.  

Consider Him.  

Contemplate Him.  

As you gaze,  

you will mirror His love—  

not by trying,  

but by resting.”

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