Tag Archive for "life" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘life’

Near the End: A Meditation

Posted on: February 20th, 2011 by tobendlight

Since death is certain, and the date of death is uncertain, what do I do to prepare? Here’s a meditation on the journey home. Listen along by clicking on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. This appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Near the End: A Meditation
When my days fade,
When my eyes dim,
When darkness settles,
And the veil is lifted,
Remove my fear
My doubt,
My shame.
Remove my hesitation and longings,
So I may go gracefully into
The unknown,
The unknowable,
The secret tomorrow of my soul.

Ancient One,
Foundation and Shelter,
Companion and Guide,
Cradle of life,
Guardian of spirit,
I confess my weaknesses and mistakes,
My errors of judgment and
My lapses of conscience,
So that I may return to You in joyous surrender.

Source of my life
Holy and exalted
You have called me to service on this earth,
You will call me back to You
As You call all Your children
To return from this life,
This journey,
This place of sea and sky,
Of happiness and heartbreak.
Let me go in peace.
Let me go in peace.

Postscript: If you liked this, try “Remember” and “Come Walk,” another prayer/poem in the voice of the spiritual traveler.

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In Plain Sight

Posted on: February 8th, 2011 by tobendlight

G-d’s gifts are everywhere. Is that why they’re so hard to find? This prayer comes from a heart of humility, a heart of love, a heart of yearning. I have selected this prayer for week 5 of Counting the Omer. This prayer appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

In Plain Sight
Ancient One,
G-d of Old,
Teacher, Guide and Shelter,
Your gifts are hidden in plain sight.
Why do I struggle to see
Love and light,
Hope and tomorrow,
The moment that just was
And the moment that will be?
My warm breath
And my grieving heart.
The gifts of this life.

Source of All Being,
Grant me the vision to see the gifts around me,
The wisdom to share Your bounty and grace,
And the humility to praise Your Holy Name.

Postscript: This prayer appears in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. See also “Garden of Blessings” and “Life as a Garden.”

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 Credit: USDA NRSA Photo Gallery

For A Critically Ill Mother

Posted on: January 10th, 2011 by tobendlight

Last night friends asked me for a prayer for their ill mother. I wrote it this morning. This prayer will appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

For A Critically-Ill Mother
Holy One,
G-d of health and healing,
My mother’s body is failing.
Illness holds her.
Grief and fear hold me.

Ancient One,
Well of hope,
Grant my mother
A quick and complete recovery.
Relieve her suffering.
Remove her pain.
Return her to health.
Restore her to life.

Rock of my heart,
Comfort and shelter,
You know the path ahead.
You know the journey.
You hear our prayers.
G-d who healed Miriam in the desert,
Bring Your healing power to
_______________ (mother’s name in Hebrew or your native tongue)
So that she may know life and health,
Joy and peace.

Blessed are You,
Adonai our G-d,
Creator of motherly wisdom and grace,
Rock of life,
Source of love.

Postscript: Here’s another prayer for our mothers, “For the Matriarch.” And prayers for healing: “For a Critically Ill Child,” “For a Critically Ill Father,” “For a Critically Ill Sister or Brother,” “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery” and “For Healing the Spirit.” Please share the healing: post a link to one of these healing prayers to your Facebook page or to your blog. Email a link to a friend in need.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

Another Year: An Introspection

Posted on: December 30th, 2010 by tobendlight

20120327-kryptomorphaics-introspection-2_mg_3874 For the New Year: a meditation on the passage and the use of time. Have I spent this time wisely? And what have I learned? Contrast this meditation, which is about living a life of integrity, with another New Year meditation, “In This Turning,” which is about love. Here’s another prayer “For the New Year” and another called “A New Year Begins.” To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. This prayer appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day.

Another Year: An Introspection
Another year slips away,
As they all do,
Day by day,
Hour by hour,
Moment by moment.
Many used wisely,
Many wasted.

Another year opens,
As they all do,
With anticipation,
With wonder and amazement,
With excitement.
With consolation.

Was last year so different from the one before?
What will the New Year bring?
What will I bring to the New Year?

This I pledge to myself:
Love is my answer to grief,
Hope is my answer to loss,
Strength is my answer to fear,
Honor is my answer to slander,
Action is my answer to injustice.

This I pledge to you
Dear sisters and brothers:
To see you as you are,
To respect your journey,
To hear your truth,
To stand with you in dignity,
To walk with you as a companion and friend.

This I pledge to You
G-d of my ancestors:
To seek Your wisdom,
To follow Your command,
To obey Your Law,
To observe Your Sabbath,
To rejoice in Your works,
To do Your will.

G-d of time and space,
Another year slips away,
As they all do.
Another year opens before me,
As they all do:
With one hundred choices,
One thousand possibilities
And one sacred duty.
Life. This life. My life.

Postscript: Here’s another prayer “For the New Year” and a meditation called “In This Turning.” Please consider purchasing my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

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.

Photo Credit: jansenphoto

Life as a Garden

Posted on: December 15th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is a metaphor with the intention of prayer, calling each of us to have a certain humility for ourselves and the world, tending even the most mundane details of our lives with a sense of awe and compassion. It’s from a set of prayers with a common structure, including: “Life as a Banquet,” “Life as a Ceremony” and “Life as a Symphony.” These prayers appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below.

Life as a Garden
G-d of majestic moments,
Source of splendor,
Creator of radiance,
Divine light of renewal and joy,
My knowledge has its limits,
My insights are fleeting,
My wisdom emanates from an ancient font of holiness and wonder.
What I witness and what I comprehend are blessings and gifts.

Heavenly hand of possibilities and potential,
Artist of all creation,
Grant me the dignity to live my life as a garden,
Planting moments of kindness and grace,
Gently removing the thorns and bramble,
Nourishing each new blessing with the light of love and peace.
You who bring awareness and understanding,
Guide me with purpose,
Teach me with patience,
Show me the gentle path,
So that I live a life of commitment and devotion,
In celebration of Your creation.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
G-d of life, Author of beauty and grandeur.

Postscript: I use this for the 19th day of counting the Omer, “Humility in Compassion.” For an overview of the structure of the prayers in this series, see “Life as a Ceremony.” See also: “Life as a Symphony” and “Life as a Banquet.”

Photo credit: The Way of Beauty

For a Critically Ill Child

Posted on: December 8th, 2010 by tobendlight

Writing this prayer was a struggle. Why do children face physical or mental illness, pain, abuse, injustice? Can a sad, confused or angry parent’s feelings find voice in prayer? As a result, this prayer includes several personal choices identified in [brackets]. Gender selections are noted with a slash. There are two places to name the child and one to name the medical condition, shown with blank lines. This prayer will appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

For a Critically Ill Child
G-d who made all things,
Source of blessing and healing,
Well of mystery and love,
I [understand that] [don’t understand why]
Children face the same perils as adults.
I [accept that] [don’t accept that]
This is my son’s/daughter’s journey.
I [surrender] [refuse to surrender]
My desires to Your will.
[Still, I pray.]

You who healed Miriam in the desert,
Bring Your healing power to [my son/daughter]
_______________ (child’s name in Hebrew or your native tongue)
So that she/he may know life and health,
Joy and love.

Bless all who face ______________ (name of disease or condition afflicting child)
With wholeness and peace.
Provide wisdom and insight to scientists and researchers
So that treatments and cures can be found for this
And all afflictions suffered by children,
Speedily in our days.

Grant our family and her/his caregivers fortitude and compassion.
[Grant me/us the skills and resources to help my/our other children as they struggle through this family trauma.]
[Give me the gentleness, awareness and presence of mind to care for my husband/wife/partner as we struggle together.]
And give me/us the strength to ask others to care for me/us in my/our pain and distress.

G-d of our people,
Ancient Source of majesty,
Bring healing to all in need,
Grant relief to all who suffer
And look with favor on [my son/daughter][name of child ________________]
In this hour of uncertainty.
Bless her/him with strength,
Remove her/his pain,
Relieve her/his distress,
And cure her/his body, mind and spirit.

Blessed are You, G-d of mystery,
May health and healing come speedily to those in need.

Postscript: Other healing prayers include: “For a Critically Ill Mother,” “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery” and “For Healing the Spirit.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

We Share the Same Pain

Posted on: November 9th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is an invitation, an invitation to men to bond as equals, as brothers, as friends, sharing our deepest pain and our deepest fear. It’s posted today to honor the men of the November 2010 New Warrior Training Adventure held by Chicago Community of The ManKind Project at Camp Ronora, Mich.

Please listen along as you read. (Click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.)

We Share the Same Pain
Brother,
You do not know me…
And you know me.
I do not know you…
And I know you.
We have travelled different roads,
But they are paths across the same landscape,
Trails across the same terrain.
Joy and anger,
Pride and shame,
Fear and love.
Our fathers and their fathers
Faced the journey of the heart alone,
Without the guidance of their brothers,
Without the wisdom of the generations.

Brother, we share the same legacy and
We share the same pain.
That is all I need to know
To love you today
For who you are and for who you can become.
Hurt, but not broken.
Still able to find the deep root of majesty within,
The gift of passion and power,
Radiance and joy,
Directed toward a life of service.
You know me.
I know you.
Let us share the challenge,
The journey,
And the victory.

Postscript: Check out these prayers for men: “My Work Remains,” “For the Lost,” “We Share the Same Pain”and “My Heart Knows What It Needs,” as well as a list of other prayers for and about men.

Please use these prayers. See “Share the Prayer!” in the right hand column.

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On the Birth of Grandchildren

Posted on: October 31st, 2010 by tobendlight

When my daughter Dana saw me typing this prayer into the computer she said: “Don’t get any ideas.” I hope to have grandchildren someday, but not until my daughters are ready. If that days comes, I’ll be prepared with this prayer. See also: “On the Birth of a Child,” a prayer for parents. Both prayers will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

On the Birth of Grandchildren
In gratitude and thanksgiving,
Humbly and on bended knee,
We offer praise to You,
G-d Most High,
For the gift of grandchildren.
Bless them with prosperity and health,
Wisdom and strength,
Grace and happiness.
Bless them with well-being
And a sense of well-being.
May they thirst for Torah and Mitzvot,
And do honor to Your Holy Name.

Bless their parents with patience and understanding.
Bless their grandparents with joy and devotion.
Bless them at home,
Bless them on their way.
Bless them in study,
Bless them at play.
Bless them in love,
Bless them in heartache.
Shelter them,
Guide them,
Protect them,
Heal them in their time of need.
G-d of our ancestors,
Source and Comfort,
Love them as You love Your people Israel.

Blessed are You, Creator of All,
Father of Kindness, Mother of Wisdom, Gentle Teacher,
You renew Your people with new life, new love, new birth,
Generation after generation.

Postscript: For prayers about family, click here. See also: “On the Birth of a Child.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

These Blessings

Posted on: October 21st, 2010 by tobendlight

This prayer celebrates the blessings in my life, in our lives. To listen along as you read, please click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

These Blessings
For the blessings in our lives,
The blessings of our lives,
And the blessings of the people who are part of our lives,
We give thanks.

These gifts heal:
Silence, stillness, enthusiasm and joyful noise.
Awareness, insight, energy and resources.
The gifts of parents and children,
Of students and teachers.

These blessings nurture:
Joy, gratitude, freedom and bravery.
Trust, strength, humor and sweetness.
The blessings of honesty and kindness,
Of faith and love.

For the gifts and blessings of our lives
We sing and dance,
We shout and laugh,
And we pledge our lives in service to each other,
In celebration, in wonder and in awe.

Praised are You, G-d our Maker,
Source of gifts and blessings.

Postscript: Here’s another prayer with a similar theme: “An Amazing Life.”

Shame

Posted on: October 18th, 2010 by tobendlight

Can shame be a blessing? Can shame be blessed? This prayer is part of a series of prayers about difficult emotions, including “Doubt,” “Fear” and “Anger.” Listen while you read by clicking on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Shame
G-d of my heart,
Source of my spirit,
I’ve been swallowed by a dirge
And elevated by songs of celebration.
I’ve judged myself harshly
And given myself grace.
I’ve climbed to see the glorious sunset
And have laid low, shivering against a pounding storm.

I live between moments of joyous surrender
And times of lonely isolation,
Between calm and storm,
Between shame and wonder.

Shame is a mirror.
Shame is a doorway.
Shame is a guide.

Holy One,
G-d of mysteries beyond my understanding,
Help me to see my shames as teachers and guides,
As reminders of my sacred humanity,
Leading me to a vision of my best self.
Let shame be the gateway to truth
So that I may release it without fear,
In awe and righteousness.

Blessed are You, Redeemer of the lost,
Who created shame so that we might discover the path to wisdom.

Postscript: Here are prayers about “Doubt,” “Fear” and “Anger.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

Posts Tagged ‘life’

Near the End: A Meditation

In Plain Sight

For A Critically Ill Mother

Another Year: An Introspection

Life as a Garden

For a Critically Ill Child

We Share the Same Pain

On the Birth of Grandchildren

These Blessings

Shame

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