February 17: Learning to Accept God’s Grace

            Although we recognize God’s grace as wholly and freely given, we still struggle to accept that grace for ourselves. It is possible to feel that we do not deserve forgiveness, that we are too flawed to be loved. So we ask God to grant us the security we need to accept the grace offered to us. May we know that whatever our weaknesses may be, God loves us for our humanity. Even in times when we feel broken, let us feel more complete by the gift of God’s grace.

Photo by Carl Cusack '17

November 17: Preserving Peace Regardless of External Circumstance

            We acknowledge that if we wait for a perfect life, we will be waiting forever. Yet we sit in chaos and dissatisfaction, believing that peace will one day come to us through outside change in our lives. We understand that much of our world is beyond our control, so we commit ourselves to preserving our inner peace regardless of our external circumstances. We ask God to guide us towards greater acceptance of our lives. May God teach us the security and calmness we need to find wholeness from within rather than from without.

Photo by author

November 3: Acceptance of Unmet Expectations

            The disappointment of unmet expectations can be worse than the downfalls themselves. God gives us the ability to dream, so we may feel betrayed when our plans go unfulfilled. But we acknowledge that God also gave us the strength to accept our life’s letdowns. We ask God to give us the wisdom to adjust our plans and continue working towards our goals. May we not become so discouraged that we give up, but let us place our faith in ourselves and in our God. We pray for the healing of our disappointments and the resilience to keep pursuing our goals.

Photo by author

October 28: Striving for an End to Humanity’s Greed

           We acknowledge that humanity’s never-ending hunger has harmed both our Earth and our people. While we give thanks for progress and development, we ask God to guide us in ending humankind’s greed. May God’s infinite knowledge grant us the ability and motivation to look beyond ourselves, our community, and our nation. May we practice compassion towards future generations, proceeding with awareness of the world they will inherit. To bring an end to the selfishness and gluttony that drives us, we ask God to continue to teach humankind contentment and compassion.

Photo by Ellen Kneeskern '18, taken from the St. John's Bible

October 26: Striving for Contentment with What One Has

            Ambition creates its own sense of chaos. Our days are constantly disturbed by hunger for a better, fuller life. Ambition turns to anxiety and fear that we will never have enough to be happy. We ask for God’s help in breaking this spiral of dissatisfaction. May we find peace in contentment with all God has given us. While we still work for the betterment of ourselves and of humanity, we will do such with the security of God’s never-ending love and compassion for humankind.

Bonus Idea for Contemplation:

The following verses come from the Batu Caves Hindu Temples in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I invite you to read these words and contemplate their meaning in your own spiritual life.

Geetha Upadesha

Whatever happened was good.

Whatever is happening is also good.

Whatever will happen that also will be good.

What did you lose that you are crying for?

What did you bring which have you lost?

What did you create that is destroyed?

Whatever you have taken is taken only from here.

Whatever you have given, is given only from here.

Whatever is yours today,

will belong to someone else tomorrow

On another day,

it will belong to yet another

This inevitable change

is the law of the universe and

the objective of my creation

-Bhagavan Sri Krishna

Photos by author

October 24: Thankfulness for and Acceptance of Rest

            No matter how tired we are, accepting rest can be surprisingly difficult. After weeks of leaping from task to task, struggling towards more and more deadlines, taking a break can feel like wasting time. But we recognize rest as a gift from God. We take this time to practice calming our minds and enjoying the present. We give thanks to God for the breaks that allow us to reconnect with our families and our friends. We recognize the care shown to us by God in allowing us to stop and just be still. Renewed by God’s love, may we return to our busy schedules with a greater sense of passion and purpose.

Photo by author

September 20: Discovery and Acceptance of Limitations

             Examination of our shortcomings often swings between two extremes: between despair over our faults and complete denial of them. We ask God for the maturity to honestly identify our limitations. We understand that as creatures we are both imperfect and incomplete, in need of both God and the rest of humanity. May God give us the peace we need to accept our shortcomings. May God guide us in improving the aspects of ourselves that we can improve and in learning to live with what we cannot change. We take comfort in the knowledge that while we have limitations, God also gives us the grace we need to accept them.

Photo by author