Author: eamaya1

Do It Anyway

eamaya1 Prayers and Meditations

Credited to Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable,
illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

 

St. Mother Teresa was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity. 

Teach Me

eamaya1 Prayers and Meditations

Author unknown

Teach me to treasure much
The simple things of life.
The touch of wind and snow, of rain and sun;
And when the hours of work are done,
The quietness of rest, the fair
And healing sustenance of prayer.
Help me keep a shining, singing gladness deep
Within for blessing yet to be
Through all eternity.

At the dawn of a new Millennium:
In a world of darkness, give us your light;
In lands of war and prejudice, grant us peace;
In a world of despair, give us hope;
In a world of sadness and tears, show us your joy.
In a world of hatred, show us your love:
In a world of arrogance, give us humility;
In a world of disbelief, give us faith.

Give us courage to face the challenges
of feeding the hungry clothing the naked,
housing the homeless, and healing the sick.
Give us the power to make a difference in
Your world, and to protect your creation

Prayer for a Diverse Community

eamaya1 Prayers and Meditations ,

By Catholic Center for Concern’s Education for Justice

Creator of all races and ethnicities,
help us see that a diverse community is the way
to deepen our lives and to know you more deeply.

Guide us to see that entering into a vital and just relationship
with others who are different from us
is the way to make ourselves whole.

Guard us from fear of the other,
from the fear that our own security is threatened
if we become truly willing to make a place at the table for all.

Open us to live out what we profess to believe:

That our true security is in You and in your call to justice and peace,
That we are a part of your global family,
That, because of your Incarnation, the human dignity of everyone is sacred,
And that we are constantly called to conversion and inclusive community.

We pray that you help us recognize any forms of racism in our hearts,
And in our legal systems and social structures.
Forgive us our sins of exclusion.
Heal our souls and spirits.
Ground us in compassion for all through your grace.

Help us take the steps you call us to take
To build a more just community,
Where difference is respected
And where we can all join hands
And rejoice in the common good.

Through the mercy of God, we pray.

Amen.

What Shall I Render Unto God?

eamaya1 Prayers and Meditations

By E. Hammond Oglesby

In a world divided by hatred, render love.
In a world smashed by fear, render faith.
In a world burdened by ethnic strife in eastern Europe,
Render kindness over cruelty.
In a world torn by the Wall of shame,
Render the refreshing spirit of Glasnost and perestroika.
In a world smeared with the pain of hunger and homelessness, render food and shelter.
In a world tormented by the demons of sexism and racism, render equality and liberty.
In a world cursed by apartheid,
Render the joybells of freedom.
In a world that disvalues our children,
Render protection and compassion.
In a world unsure about the future,
Render the cup of salvation;
Render the shield of faith. Pay your own vows unto the Lord.

 

E. Hammond Oglesby is a Baptist Minister, author, and professor. 

See-Judge-Act-Evaluate-Celebrate

eamaya1 Guided Reflections

See-Hear-Name

  • What happened?
  • What events took place?
  • What did I do, say, feel, hear, see?
  • What are some of the lingering images?
  • What will I remember most about what people shared?

Judge-Think-Feel

  • What are my immediate thoughts or impressions?
  • What was the context in which this took place: social geographic, political, economic, demographic, cultural?
  • What were the effects of such factors as: age, race, cultural differences or similarities, class differences or similarities, religious beliefs?
  • How were my own values, attitudes, assumptions or past experiences influencing the way I felt or acted in this situation?
  • Who are the actors (people indirectly/directly involved) in this situation? What are their short- and long-term goals?
  • How are the actors related: to one another? To me? To other organizations or institutions?
  • What are the implications of these links?
  • What questions, concerns, things that don’t make sense am I left with?
  • What were you feeling at specific moments and throughout the experience?

Act: Personal/Community/National/International

  • What are some of the things an ordinary citizen can do about this situation?
  • What responsibility do we have as people of faith?
  • What are some of the things that are being done?
  • What would we like to change about ourselves or the situation?
  • What forces (people, institutions, cultural values, etc.) are likely to oppose me/us?
  • What forces are likely to support us?
  • Who will we choose to work with?
  • Who will we ask for support?
  • What are likely implications of our actions for ourselves? For others?

Evaluate: Participation/Program/Action

  • What are we hoping for?
  • What were my contributions to the group? Were they useful?
  • What were our goals and objectives? Were we aware of these?
  • How do I see the situation differently now as compared to when I first encountered it?
  • What would we like to do differently next time?
  • How do I take responsibility for my own and others learning?
  • I wish we did more…
  • I wish we did less…

Celebrate: Good Times/Hope/Change/Each Other

  • What does celebration look like for us in this program? For people in communities we have visited?
  • How do we celebrate?
  • What things do we need to celebrate?
  • How do we experience celebration here?

Finding Oneself in Solidarity

eamaya1 Guided Reflections

We continue to identify ourselves with the poor in our way of living; we continue to simplify our lifestyle. We also become engaged in the struggle for social change. This usually leads to involvement in such things as protests, boycotts, demonstrations, actions of resistance, even civil disobedience, arrest, imprisonment. We often become a part of… a network of persons with similar ideals and goals. As a result of this involvement, we experience the fact that others—friends, relatives, family, members of our community—simply do not comprehend what we are about. We feel misunderstood, alienated, criticized, even persecuted. These experiences, in addition to our efforts to live more simply, become a part of our way of living.

Ted Wiesner

Reflect: As a result of your struggle for social change, when have you felt misunderstood, alienated, or criticized?

BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF. You are a child of the Universe no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive [God] to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Cassie Cromwell, ecological activist

Reflect:
  • How do you keep peace in your soul?
  • Who or what brings balance, meaning, and direction to your life?

Locked Eyes

eamaya1 Guided Reflections

Intention: To help participants engage in a form of dialogue that is beyond a verbal conversation. This activity is meant to help people share in an intentional bonding moment that may put them outside of their comfort zone.
Risk Level: Medium
Time needed: Decided by facilitator, anywhere from 5-15 minutes
Appropriate location: A space with low traffic and minimal distractions
Materials needed: Stopwatch/timepiece

Part I. Personal Reflection
Invite participants to think of a time in which they could not effectively communicate an idea or thought. Give them examples of possibly speaking through language barriers or talking to someone who is not listening. Help them think of a time in which their parents or siblings did not understand a choice they made or did not fully comprehend an experience that they wanted to share. Allow silence for reflection after giving examples.

Part II. Paired Activity
Have participants pair up with someone and invite them to stand or sit in front of each other. Have them “blink out” their eyes and shake hands with their partner. Invite them to lock eye contact with their partner until you say “time.” The facilitator has the choice of how long they want this activity to run.

Part III. Discussion
After you say “time,” have the partners discuss their experience with each other. What was the other thinking? What did you assume I was thinking about? What was your comfort level with this activity? How hard was it to keep eye contact with me? How do you feel right now? Next, invite the partners to come back to the big group and discuss as a whole.

Part IV. Close
Reiterate the point that communication goes beyond the verbal discussion. Challenge participants to look for that nonverbal communication in their everyday interactions.

Pro-Tips:
The facilitator should think about whether or not to share the activity time with participants. Telling participants or not telling them leads for interesting twists. There will probably be laughing/awkward giggles throughout the activity. I suggest letting the laughter happen. Although it may be distracting the concentration of other participants, it opens conversation about another form of dialogue and communication.

Closing Guided Imagery

eamaya1 Guided Reflections, Prayers and Meditations ,

Opening: Close your eyes. Take a restful posture and a deep breath. Let go of any tension which you may be feeling. It is important that your mind be quiet, restful and peaceful… allow images and feelings to come freely…During this meditation we will look back on some important feelings and themes from the past days.

In this guided imagery, I am going to invite you to reflect on various themes, various memories. We will reflect on these individually now and communally later.

Challenge: Can you recall an experience when your heart went out to another person? A child rejected by his peers… a lonely old woman… a disabled beggar… a desperate addict… a scene of dehumanizing poverty? What did you feel at that moment? Does this scene continue to haunt you? Have you prayed about it? Has it remained in your memory?

Loneliness: When did you feel lonely? Did you miss your family? Was there a friend you longed for? Were there birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, or deaths which accentuated your distance from what you know as “home”? When did you feel alone?

Fear: What made you fearful? What kept you awake at night and occupied your mind during the day? A particular class or relationship… conflict in community… an issue in your family or at home… something that happened over the last four months—or may happen in the future? Did you share these fears with another person, your community, or with God?

Peace: When did you feel peace? Think of a time when you experienced consolation—a feeling that: “Yes, this is the right place for me to be right now. There is no other place I would rather be in the world.”

Anger: What made you angry? An absurd situation… an argument which escalated… a strained relationship… a rude stranger? Perhaps you perceived an injustice—was it an injustice to you or to another person? When were you angry? Do you tend to keep your anger interior, or do you express it? When did you lash out at an innocent bystander or talk viciously about another person? Were you aware of this violence?

Anxiousness: When did you feel stress? How did it manifest itself? Physical tension… restlessness… obsessing… preoccupations during prayer? Was this resolved or does it remain unresolved? When were you stressed? What could this anxiety teach you about yourself?

Joy: Remember a time when you felt joy? What were the circumstances? Did you feel gratitude? How frequently do you feel content to this degree? Most days… occasionally… rarely? When did you experience joy?

Sorrow: Was there an occasion when you felt sorrow? Perhaps you hurt someone or were hurt by someone… Perhaps someone you knew was treated cruelly? How did you respond to this sadness? By journaling… walking alone… thinking… praying? When were you sad?

Friendship: Is there a person here you can call your friend? How has the friendship developed? What qualities do you find about that person? Have you become a closer friend with God? With yourself?

Courage: Can you remember a time when you acted courageously? When you stood up for another person or an important value? Perhaps, there was a courageous position to take but you realized that it wasn’t your stand to make? Were you able to step back?

Humor: What memory of our time together has brought you a good laugh? Were you able to laugh at yourself? When were you laughing?

Adventure: What types of adventure attracted you and brought you to this place? As days became more routine, did you still find “newness,” or did you resign yourself to the tedium? Did you wait for the excursions and breaks to find adventure, or were you able to find excitement in your everyday experience?

Love: Have you experienced a deepening of love and appreciation for another person… for a group of people… for God… for yourself… or life itself? How have others shown their love for you?

Closing: Take a moment to sit with these memories… Now open your eyes… with your imagination fresh with a spirit of gratitude… Spend a half hour in quiet considering these questions. Feel free to journal. We will have the opportunity to share some of these experiences as a community later today.

Adapted from closing reflection with Casa de Solidaridad, 2003