Tag Archive for "healing" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘healing’

Praise for Healing

Posted on: May 27th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer to be said after recovery from illness. Although I’ve written several specific prayers — such as “Cancer Remission” and “Upon Recovery from Surgery” — this is my first general prayer of thanks for physical recovery. It’s an adaptation of “Inviting Healing,” which appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Praise for Healing
Radiance and awe.
Splendor and wonder.
The energy of being surrounds me
Flowing day-by-day
From the holy realms.

These gifts of holiness
Flow into my hands,
Into my body,
Into the core of my being.

The energy of life flows
Into my limbs,
Into my chest,
Into my heart.

Thank you
Source and Shelter,
For opening the well of healing to me,
Bringing renewal and hope.

G-d of Old,
Healer and Guide,
You have blessed me with life,
With days of joy and yearning.
You have blessed me with Your care,
Leading me back
To a life of wholeness and peace.

Postscript: Thanks to my friend, Rabbi Len Zukrow for the idea for this prayer. He asked me if I had a something that could be used at a communal Shabbat gomel service for all who’ve recovered from illness. As a result, I put this together. Other healing prayers include: “For Surgery,” “For a Critically-Ill Child,” “For a Critically-Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Father,” “For Cancer Treatment” and two Hospice Prayers. See also: “Quick Prayer for Healing,” “Quick Prayer for My Healing,” “Quick Prayer for Healing (Specific)”and “On Recurrent Pain.”

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. Please consider purchasing my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Credit: Agility Recovery

Mounting Losses

Posted on: May 3rd, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer for those facing multiple loses or tragedies. It’s straightforward and general, crafted to allow individuals to include the specific losses that have occurred. This is one of two prayers with the same structure. “Facing Challenges” deals with ongoing struggles, while this prayer deals with loss. The two prayers share common language. Word choices are shown with a slash (“/”). The blank lines identify spots to insert the specifics of your losses.

Mounting Losses
These losses,
G-d of my ancestors,
G-d of my people,
These losses continue to mount:
First ____________ [a recent event/tragedy],
Now ____________ [the most recent events/tragedies],
And I am trapped
In a pit of grief and despair.

Where is the light?
Where is the air?
Where is the sound
Of my own breathing?

Ancient One,
Grant me rest and comfort
As the burdens of loss
Rise around me,
As my suffering magnifies,
As my hope is assailed.
Source and Shelter,
Protect me.
Heal these wounds.
Bring me back to holiness and light.
Bring me back to awe and wonder.
Bring me back to Your tabernacle of peace.

Blessed are You,
G-d of Wonders,
Still Small Voice,
You heal the wounded spirit with love.

Postscript: Special thanks to Rabbi Paul Kipnes for his review and comments on this prayer, as for his suggestion to write “Facing Challenges.” His book, Jewish Spiritual Parenting, co-authored with Michelle November, will be available this Spring from Jewish Lights Publishing.

Photo Source: Rick Warren on Instragram

For the People of Nepal (Prayers After the Earthquake)

Posted on: April 25th, 2015 by Alden

More than 1,ooo people are feared dead in an 7.9 earthquake that hit Napal Saturday morning. Here are two prayers for the people of Nepal, adapted from prayers I wrote for the people of Haiti after a January 2010 earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010: one for the people and one for first responders. They have been revised and used after several major earthquakes.

UPDATE, May 19, 2015: Another earthquake has struck, after a period of strong aftershocks.

In Devastation (Prayer for the People of Nepal)
G-d beyond my understanding,
The earth has turned violent,
Sweeping our brothers and sisters off their feet,
Crushing homes and lives,
Upending dreams,
Toppling the foundations of hope and sustenance.
A shallow breath beneath the rubble
And wailing in the streets.
The injured and the dead.
The new widow,
The new orphan,
The newly bereft turn to You
Divine Source of abundance and grace.

G-d of justice and mercy,
We pray for the people of Nepal,
And the victims of any disaster,
Any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
May a world of justice, righteousness and mercy
Come swiftly to their aid.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of Nepal Your protection,
Your radiance,
And Your peace.

Prayer For First Responders (to the Earthquake in Nepal)
Crisis and chaos,
Confusion and loss,
A scene of sweeping destruction,
The first responders arrive
Among the breathless and dazed,
The frenzied, driven wild with fear and grief,
The incapacitated, the dead,
The weary, the lost, the injured,
And survivors forcing themselves
Beyond their limits
To fight devastation.

G-d whose ways are secret,
Bless these first responders with endurance
To be of maximum service in this moment of immeasurable need.
Bless their limbs with strength,
Their eyes with courage,
Their hands with gentleness,
So that they become a source of hope and love.
Give them the tools they need in the days and hours ahead.
Protect them from physical harm,
Shield them from emotional pain,
And guard them from taking this trauma into themselves.

G-d of justice and mercy,
We pray for the people of Nepal.
Let the world rally on their behalf.
May the deeds of the first responders
Find favor in Heaven
And bring healing on earth.

Postscript: I have used elements of these in prayers after earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, where the circumstances required a slightly different approach.

Photo Source: The Guardian

Facing Challenges

Posted on: April 14th, 2015 by Alden

This is a simple, straightforward and general prayer for people who face challenges that weigh heavily upon their days: financial, medical, emotional, spiritual. It’s crafted to allow individuals to include the specific challenges that they face. Word choices are shown with a slash (“/”). The blank line identifies the spot to insert the specifics challenges. Special thanks to Rabbi Paul Kipnes who suggested the idea for this prayer.

Facing Challenges
Challenges,
G-d of my ancestors,
G-d of my people,
Challenges that threaten my/our
Safety and well being
Weigh heavy upon me/us.
I/We face ________________ [list the challenges with which you struggle].
And [I am/ we are] trapped in what appears to be
An impossible situation.

Where is the light?
Where is the air?
Where is the sound
Of my own breathing?

Ancient One,
Grant me/us comfort
As I/we struggle to find solutions,
As I/we struggle to find hope,
[As my/our suffering magnifies.]
Source and Shelter,
Protect me/us.
Bring me/us back to holiness and light.
Bring me/us back to awe and wonder.
Bring me/us back to Your tabernacle of peace.

Blessed are You,
G-d of Wonders,
Still Small Voice,
You heal the wounded spirit with love.

Postscript: This is one of two prayers with the same structure. This prayer deals with ongoing challenges; the other prayer, called “Mounting Losses,” deals with multiple difficult endings, such as multiple deaths, or a divorce and a family death. It will be posted here in the next few weeks. The two prayers share some common language. Again thanks to Rabbi Paul Kipnes who suggested the idea for this prayer and made suggestions to the drafts of both prayers. His book, Jewish Spiritual Parenting, co-authored with Michelle November, will be available this Spring from Jewish Lights Publishing.

Photo Source: MD Anderson Cancer Center

Angel of Rest

Posted on: March 8th, 2015 by Alden

Here’s a short meditation on death, attempting to think differently about the classic image of the Angel of Death.

Angel of Rest
Then came
The Angel of Death
With gentle words
And sacred tidings.
Quiet and rest.
Gentleness and peace.
Extending a hand and a smile.
A guide.
A companion.

In the end,
We are not alone
As we rise
Into the rhythm of light,
The expanse of glory,
The illumination of holiness,
To become one with the infinite,
To become the pulse
Of the divine.

Postscript: Some of my other prayers about death include: “Near the End: A Meditation,” “On Removing a Child’s Life Support,” “Meditation on the Burial of a Young Child,” “On the Journey to My Child’s Passing,” “After Shiva” and “Shall I Cry.” Here’s a list of memorial and yizkor prayers.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Aux Juifs de France, Modifié

Posted on: January 11th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer for the Jews of France after the terror attack on a kosher market in Paris. The prayer appears first in French followed by English. It’s an adaption of “For the Jews of France,” written in March, 2012, after the deadly anti-semitic attack in Toulouse.

Aux Juifs de France, Modifié
Auteur de la vie,
L’homme est devenu violent,
Anéantissant des vies,
Bouleversant des rêves,
Attaquant l’espoir avec la haine.

Source et Créateur,
Accorde un repos parfait sous ton tabernacle de paix
Aux victimes de Paris
Dont les vies furent interrompues par la violence,
Un acte d’aggression stupide
Et d’anti-Sémitisme calculé.
Rappelle-toi les survivants de cette atrocité,
Et les victimes de toute violence, souffrance ou désespoir.
Accorde-leur refuge et secours,
Confort et consolation,
Grâce et renouveau.
Accorde-leur l’endurance afin qu’ils survivent,
La force de reconstruire,
La foi dans le deuil,
Le courage de guérir,
Et la dévotion l’un à l’autre.

Guide divin,
Main d’amour et refuge,
Met fin à la haine et la colère,
A la peur et la bigoterie,
Et conduit-nous à ce temps,
Quand plus un ne souffre à la merci d’un autre.

Pour le bien de notre peuple,
Et pour celui de Ton Saint Nom,
Accorde aux Juifs de France Ta protection,
Ta guérison et ton intégrité,
Et accorde-leur Ta paix.

For the Jews of France, Revised
Author of life,
Man has turned violent,
Crushing lives,
Upending dreams,
Attacking hope with hatred.

Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of murder in Paris
Whose lives were cut off by violence,
An act of witless aggression
And calculated anti-Semitism.
Remember the survivors of this horror,
And the victims of any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Put an end to anger and hatred,
Bigotry and fear,
And lead us to a time when no one
Suffers at the hand of another.

For the sake of our people,
And for the sake of Your Holy Name,
Grant the Jews of France Your protection,
Your wholeness and healing,
And Your peace.

Postscript: The translation is by Genevieve Begue, a woman with an amazing amount of energy and joy for living whom I met during a winter 2012 ulpan at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. My deepest thanks to Genevieve for the translation and her continuing support of my writing. Ask others to pray for the Jews of France by posting a link to this prayer on your Facebook wall or blog.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. Please take a moment to explore my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo credit: Facebook

Before Calling Social Services

Posted on: January 4th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer for humility before taking a difficult step: calling a social service agency to report a neighbor, family member or some other individual perpetrating violence on others. Along with asking for wholeness and healing to be the result, this prayer also asks for an end to all family violence. Optional language and choices for customizing the prayer appear in [brackets]. This prayer will appear in my forthcoming book, Prayers from the Heart of Darkness.

Before Calling Social Services
With humility,
I prepare to take a step that may
Profoundly influence the lives of others.
The [violence / physical abuse / sexual abuse / emotional abuse]
Against _____________ (insert name of victim)
Must end.
The time has come to call [the authorities / social services / the police].
[There appears to be no other way.]
I do this with [sadness / fear / reluctance / shame / hope].
I do this in the name of safety and healing.
I do this so that justice and love may be restored.

Ancient One,
So many have suffered trauma inflicted by [loved ones/people they know].
Bring us to a time when violence and abuse are removed from our midst,
When friends and family treat each other –
Their parents, husbands, wives, partners, children, sisters and brothers –
With constant tenderness and steadfast care.
May this act be for blessing and not for curse,
For joy and not for sorrow,
For wholeness, consolation and peace.

G-d of Old,
Let your blessings rain down upon
All who suffer at the hand of family aggression,
All who suffer at the hand of daily terror.

Blessed are You, Source of peace.

Postscript: My prayers for mental health include: “My Depression” and “Mental Illness.” They both appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. A related prayer, called “My Child’s Self-Inflicted Wounds,” will appear in my forthcoming book, Prayers from the Heart of Darkness.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Photo Source: National Union of Public and General Employees

Passing of a Beloved Pet

Posted on: December 21st, 2014 by Alden

When a beloved pet passes away, many of us struggle with the loss of a dear, loving presence, the loss of companionship and a true friend. Optional language appears in [brackets], including a request for forgiveness if the pet needed to be euthanized. Blanks are for including the pet’s name and the type of pet. Other choices are shown with a slash (“/”). This is a photo of my daughter’s cat Lovie, who recently passed away. This prayer appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

Passing of a Beloved Pet
In sorrow and love
I/We remember ______________ (pet’s name)
Our beloved __________ (type of pet: dog, cat, etc.)
Who provided [years of] companionship
And endless joy.
You were more than a pet to me/us,
Becoming a member of my/our family,
Providing consolation in times of loss,
Giving me/us laughter and delight
And a sense of well-being,
Rich with memories,
Rich in love.
The pain is deep.
The empty space,
Too wide to comprehend.

[Forgive me/us, dear ______________ (pet’s name),
For my/our decision to remove you from
The suffering you endured.
We/I did it with deep sorrow
Placing kindness for you above
My/Our desire for more time together.]

G-d of the bereaved,
Grant me/us find solace in the days ahead,
And peace of mind as time passes.
Let my/our memories of the time/years together
With ______________ (pet’s name)
Be an endless source of wonder
In tribute to his/her memory.

Rest in peace.

Postscript: This appears in my new book This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press. Here’s a list of memorial and yizkor prayers, many of which appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Please check out my Meet the Author video and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Nikki Braziel-Solovy

After an Accidental Death: A Yizkor Prayer

Posted on: December 7th, 2014 by Alden

This is another in a series of focused yizkor prayers to help acknowledge particular circumstances surrounding the death of a loved one, such as: “In Memory of an Organ Donor,” “At the Hand of Violence,” “Yizkor for a Lone Soldier” and “At the Hand of Anti-Semitism.” May the memory of the righteous be a blessing.

After an Accidental Death: A Yizkor Prayer
G-d of secrets,
Source and shelter,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To ______________________ (name),
My [father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / dear one/ friend]
Whose life was cut off without warning,
In a moment of inconceivable horror,
Cut down [in the fullness of life / in his/her prime /before we were ready].
Even in this darkness,
Even in this grief and void that seem beyond repair,
Help us to remember his/her wisdom, talents and skills,
Our times together,
Our joy, laughter and tears.
Let our memories continue to bless us
Even as we pray for him / her to find peace
In the world to come.
May his / her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Postscript: Here is a list of memorial and yizkor prayers, many of which appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Sephardi Quarter Note

Posted on: November 2nd, 2014 by Alden

This prayer/poem is about the beauty of Sephardic song. The inspiration came during a class taught by Galeet Darsahsti at OSRUI‘s Shabbat Shira, an annual weekend of creativity, focused on Jewish music. Music is a common theme for me, such as: “For the Gift of Music,” “Sing Hallelujah” and one of my favorites “We are Music.” This appears in my new book This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

Sephardi Quarter Note
If you listen
To the space between
The notes and the half notes,
The space between heartbeats,
You’ll hear quarter notes of love and yearning,
Ancient music of hope and sorrow,
Infinite in variation,
The echo of generations.
Notes that bend toward G-d.
Notes that linger with longing.
Notes that plead for redemption.
The voice of sorrow
And the voice of laughter.
Notes of surrender.
Notes that refuse to surrender.
Notes that cry out to Zion and Israel.

If you listen
To the space between
The notes and the half notes,
The rises and the falls,
The trills and trumpets,
You will hear a rhythm and a pulse
Calling out:
“Adon Olam,
Yedid Nefesh,
Shachar Avakeshcha,
Yodukha Rayonai.
Master of the Universe,
Beloved of my Heart,
At Dawn I Seek You,
My Thoughts will Praise You.”

In the space between the notes,
Dreams of G-d
Touch the core of being
To become music.

Postscript: Thanks to Galeet for including this prayer/poem in a recent email to her fans, as well as her suggested changes to this piece. More prayers incorporating the theme of music include: “We are Music,” “Life as a Symphony” and “For the Gift of Song.”

Please check out my Meet the Author video and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: BuzzNet/Jewish Art House

Posts Tagged ‘healing’

Praise for Healing

Mounting Losses

For the People of Nepal (Prayers After the Earthquake)

Facing Challenges

Angel of Rest

Aux Juifs de France, Modifié

Before Calling Social Services

Passing of a Beloved Pet

After an Accidental Death: A Yizkor Prayer

Sephardi Quarter Note

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