A Prayer For World Peace by Ernest Holmes
I know there is but One Mind, which is the Mind of God, in which all people live and move and have their being.
I know there is a Divine Pattern for humanity and within this Pattern there is infinite harmony and peace, cooperation, unity, and mutual helpfulness.
I know that the mind of man, being one with the Mind of God, shall discover the method, the way, and the means best fitted to permit the flow of Divine Love between individuals and nations.
Thus harmony, peace, cooperation, unity, and mutual helpfulness will be experienced by all.
I know there shall be a free interchange of ideas, of cultures, of spiritual concepts, of ethics, of educational systems, and of scientific discoveries--for all good belongs to all alike.
I know that, because the Divine Mind has created us all, we are bound together in one infinite and perfect unity.
In bringing about World Peace, I know that all people and all nations will remain individual, but unified for the common purpose of promoting peace, happiness, harmony, and prosperity.
I know that deep within every person the Divine Pattern of perfect peace is already implanted.
I now declare that in each person and in leaders of thought everywhere this Divine Pattern moves into action and form, to the end that all nations and all people shall live together in peace, harmony and prosperity forever.
So it is--now.
~
~ 2024 ~
"Life exists because there is precision about the Universe. We are players in this life-giving system, and we’re invited to be co-creators with the Divine." - Scott Awbrey, Spiritual Passages
Distaff Day: Women as Spinners of Life January 7 was once known as Distaff Day and marked when the women of the community went back to spinning after the 12-day Christmas celebration. A distaff is a wooden rod on a loom that holds the thread, and was used by women to weave clothing. To use the distaff, you need lots of patience, nurturing, and innovation. Distaff Day represents the creative, vitalizing quality of our life-spinning, and the ability to open oneself to imagination and transformation.
Consider the art of rug-weaving. The weaver is going to weave a rug, so she gets a loom and thread. The loom has only one task: to keep weaving. It doesn't decide whether it will weave a beautiful or an ugly rug.Hour after hour, it moves back and forth, while yard after yard of rug comes slowly forth at the end of the loom. The weaver watching it may not liked the end result, but she does not blame the loom...saying, "Why can't you do a better job? What have you done to me?" The weaver doesn't sit at the loom crying over the ugly pattern, wishing it would somehow change into a thing of beauty. She knows that the only place where the quality of beauty can be introduced is on the spools of thread before the obedient weaving apparatus gets it. So she changes the threads. She takes off the dark spool, replacing it with a brighter color; she exchanges a gaudy yellow thread for a vibrant gold. Then she starts the machine once more, and watches now as a new piece of art, a new experience is revealed. The loom doesn't care what thread is used. It has no choice but to weave whatever threads it's given, and it does so according to the pattern set by the weaver.
Our mind, our consciousness is the loom of our art work, our life. Daily, our loom of mind weaves the pattern of our life. And if we don't like the results, we're foolish to complain about it, wish and hope things were different. To think that "luck," or fate of providence has anything to do with our experiences. We are responsible. We're the weaver, our mind is the loom, and it's our thoughts and beliefs that are the thread. If we want a new life experience, we must change the thread.
"But the great Love of the Universe must be One with the great law of its Own Being; and we approach Love through the Law. This then is the teaching Love and Law. As the love of God is perfect, so the law of God also is perfect. We must understand both." ~ Ernest Holmes (SOM 26.1)
~ 2023 ~
Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address
Greetings to the Natural World
From Braiding Sweetgrass by author, ethnobotanist, and biologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, of the Citizen
Potawatomi Nation:
"Our old farm is within the ancestral homelands of the Onondaga Nation, and their reserve lies a few ridges to the west of my hilltop. There, just like on my side of the ridge, school buses discharge a herd of kids who run even after the bus monitors bark 'Walk!' But at Onondaga, the flag flying outside the entrance [of the school] is purple and white, depicting the Hiawatha wampum belt, the symbol of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy….Here the school week begins and ends not with the Pledge of Allegiance, but with the Thanksgiving Address, a river of words as old as the people themselves, known more accurately in the Onondaga language as the Words That Come Before All Else. This ancient order of protocol sets gratitude as the highest priority. The gratitude is directed straight to the ones who share their gifts with the world.
"All classes stand together in the atrium, and one grade each week has responsibility for the oratory. Together, in a language older than English, they begin the recitation. It is said that the people were instructed to stand and offer these words whenever they gathered, no matter how many or how few, before anything else was done. In this ritual, their teachers remind them that every day, 'beginning with where our feet touch the earth, we send thanks and greetings to all members of the natural world.' "
The wording of the Thanksgiving Address varies with the speaker, but you can read well-known
version by John Stokes and Kanawahientun here.
~ 2021 ~
From Sunday, May 2nd "This Adventure Called Life"
"Expect the best" - Author Unknown
What’s exciting about life is that every morning offers a brand-new day with unlimited possibilities. Yesterday’s mistakes and regrets belong to yesterday. Today is a clean slate, a chance to start over, to do or become anything you want, a chance to go for it! So, jump into life with both feet! Go forward, head held high, expecting the best….you may be surprised at how often that’s exactly what you’ll get!
This week’s sacred reading is from the internet, author unknown….
“The journey is short “
An elderly woman got on a bus and sat down. At the next stop, a strong, grumpy young woman climbed up and sat down beside the old woman, hitting her with her numerous bags.
When she saw that the elderly woman remained silent, the young woman asked her why she had not complained when she hit her with her bags?
The elderly woman replied with a Smile: "There is no need to be rude or discuss something so insignificant, as my trip next to you is so short, because I am going to get off at the next stop."
This answer deserves to be written in gold letters: "There is no need to discuss something so insignificant, because our journey together is too short."
Each of us must understand that our time in this world is so short, that darkening it with useless arguments, jealousy, not forgiving others, discontentment and bad attitudes are a ridiculous waste of time and energy.
Did someone break your heart? Stay calm.
The trip is too short.
Did someone betray you, intimidate, cheat or humiliate you? Relax - Don't be Stressed
The trip is too short.
Did someone insult you without reason? Stay calm. Ignore it.
The trip is too short.
Did a neighbor make a comment that you didn't like? Stay calm. Ignore him. Forgive that.
The trip is too short.
Whatever the problem someone has brought us, remember that our journey together is too short.
No one knows the length of our trip. Nobody knows when it will arrive at its stop.
Our trip together is too short.
Let us appreciate friends and family.
Let us be respectful, kind and forgiving.
Because we will be filled with gratitude and joy, after all
Our trip together is very short.
Share your smile to everyone....
Our trip is Very Short!
From Sunday, February 21st "The Hill We Climb"
This week's sacred reading is from Francine Huss's book, ThinkBetter.LiveBetter.
BETTER.
"LIVE AS THOUGH I HAVE A GREAT PURPOSE. ACT WITH
CONFIDENCE THAT ALL OF MY NEEDS ARE MET. SPEAK AS IF MY
WORD IS POWERFUL. THINK FROM AN INTELLIGENCE THAT KNOWS
ALL. CREATE AS IF THE INSPIRATION OF MICHELANGELO IMPELS
ME. LOVE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE UNCONDITIONALLY.
DREAM WITH EXPECTATION THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. GIVE AS
THOUGH I CAN NEVER DEPLETE MY RICHES. FORGIVE AS THOUGH
THERE IS NOTHING TO FORGIVE. BREATHE AS IF I HAVE AN
ETERNITY. HELP AS IF EVERYONE IS MY SISTER AND BROTHER.
SERVE AS AN AGENT OF GOOD. LOVE WITHOUT EXPECTATION.
CONSIDER THE EARTH A LIVING, BREATHING BEING. WORK WITH
JOY TO EXPRESS MY TALENTS. SHARE AS THOUGH MY LIFE
DEPENDS ON IT. LOOK TO THE FUTURE, EXPECTING MORE GOOD.
SEE EVERY PRESENT MOMENT AS EXACTLY PERFECT. PRACTICE
PEACE AS IF THERE IS NO OPPOSITE. RECEIVE AS THOUGH
STANDING BENEATH A WATERFALL. VALUE MYSELF AS THOUGH I
AM PRICELESS. EXEMPLIFY COMPASSION IN PLACE OF JUDGMENT.
SEE THE BRILLIANCE IN OTHERS. PLACE EVERY FOOTSTEP AS IF A
RED CARPET UNROLLS BENEATH IT. EXPECT MY DESIRES TO BE
MANIFESTED. HUG OTHERS AS THOUGH MY EMBRACE HEALS.
JUST BE ME, AS IF THIS IS MY ONLY PURPOSE. BE STILL AND
LISTEN AS THOUGH ANGELS SPEAK TO ME. LAUGH AS THOUGH MY
LAUGHTER CLEANSES THE AIR THAT CARRIES IT. PRAY AS THOUGH
I AM LIFE TALKING TO MYSELF. DREAM JOY. FIND GOOD. LIVE
GRACEFULLY. SHARE GRATITUDE. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE."
From Sunday, February 14th "It takes a Courageous Heart"
Catherine of Sienna, one of the early female mystics of the Christian church wrote in her collection of letters recounting her conversations with God (14th Century):
Catherine: “But what if I have no such unconditional love in me and no great tenderness (and I don’t), and yet you say without such love I am powerless; so then, how can I get it?”
God: “I’ll tell you how. Love is only had by loving. So be up and doing. And remember that there’s nothing so difficult and no stronghold so impregnable, that it can’t be broken down (and you built up) by love.”
From Sunday, February 7th "The Wounded Healer ...Growing Forward"
By Dr. Stuart Grayson:
"There is a principle of peace in the universe. It is the divine order and perfect right action of being. In it I live and move and have my being. Expressing through me, it moves in a calm, serene and balanced way as my stressless self. I can never be separated from the universal action. It is the Infinite expressing as the principle of love. I know that this is the sustaining, maintaining activity of the givingness of the Universal Power and Presence. And I know that I am always supported by it.
Whatever in me is focusing on separation from this infinite good, whatever is focusing on negative thoughts, images or feelings, I affirm is dissolved through this spiritual knowing. I am a clear center of the consciousness of beauty, order, harmony and joy. There is no stress or strain in these qualities or in me. I am in a state of peace and serenity at all times. Wherever I am, whatever I do, these attributes of the Divine manifest through me. I perform my obligations with ease. I am in a state of spiritual balance. I look at life with clear vision based upon spiritual truths. I live with peace and love in my heart, and all my ways are well." And So it is.
From Sunday, January 31st "A Recap of the Basics"
This week’s sacred reading comes from 365 Days of Richer Living by Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker. In keeping with our 2021 theme of “Ancient Wisdom, Evolutionary Vision”, the reading begins with a quote from The Bhagavad – Gita
“ I the Father of this universe, the Mother, the Supporter, the Grandsire, the Holy One to be known, the Word of Power. “
Our lesson tells that God is the Father, the mother, the supporter, and grandsire. It tells that from the oneness of God proceeds the law, the essence and the word. Then it tells us that God is Spirit. Wonderful indeed is this conception of the union of all Life, which Jesus proclaimed in the ecstasy of his illumination. “I and the Father are one.” All cause and all effect proceed from the invisible Spirit. [Humankind] is one with this Spirit and cannot be separated from It. [Our] word has power because [our] word is the action of God through [Its] thought. Power is, we use it, we do not create it. Let us seek to use the power of this word more generously, with a greater idea of beneficence, its abundance, and its availability.
When we learn to believe, then our belief is increased. Receiving much, we shall receive, giving everything, we shall, in return, receive all. Let us be willing to die to the lesser in order to become resurrected into the greater. This is the true meaning of the thought that we must lose our lives in order to find them. Naturally we must let go of ignorance if we would gain knowledge; we must stop walking in darkness if we would walk in the light.
Today I walk in the light of God’s love. Today, I am guided and my guidance is multiplied. I know exactly what to do; exactly how to do it. There is an inspiration within me which governs every act, every thought, in certainty, with conviction and peace.
From Sunday, January 17th "What It Does"
Listen closely to the shortened version of this poem written by the Third Patriarch of Zen somewhere between the year 575-615:
The Great Way is not difficult for those not attached to preferences.
When neither love nor hate arises, all is clear.
Separate by the smallest amount, however, and you are as far from it as heaven is from earth.
If you wish to know the truth, then hold no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind.
When the fundamental nature of things is not recognized, the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.
When you try to stop activity to achieve quietude, your very effort fills you with activity.
Do not remain in a dualistic state. Void such easy habits carefully. If you attach to even a trace of this and that, of right and wrong, the Mind-essence will be lost in confusion.
When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way, there is no objection to anything in the world.
From Sunday, January 10th "The Way It Works"
This week’s sacred reading comes from The Science of Mind textbook by Ernest Holmes, page 36:
“ We now know that this is what we are—because we could not be anything else—but we do not know how much of this we are! When we see It as It is, then, we shall see ourselves as we are. We can only see It by looking at It through our own eyes. Hence, we shall find a better God when we shall have arrived at a higher standard for man. If God is to interpret Himself to man, He must interpret Himself through man. And the Spirit can make no gift that we do not accept.”
From Sunday, January 3rd "The Thing Itself"
This week’s sacred reading comes from 365 Days of Richer Living, daily inspirations from Ernest Holmes and Raymond Charles Barker.
The Changeless Abides with Me
WE should realize that all the great scriptures have taught one identical message – the unity of good. All the sacred books have been inspired by the one Mind. Each in its own tongue has told the story of reality. “I am the Lord, I change not”, was revealed to the Hebrew mystic [Malachi]. To the great Chinese sage came the same message, “The Tao cannot change, it has no name”, and to Hermes, God is in Himself, by Himself, full and perfect. If we can add to this glorified conception the realization that this divine being is the breath of our breath, omnipresent, forever within us, then we shall realize that we live in one eternal and perfect Mind. “An excerpt from the sacred books on the attributes of God says, “There is no variableness in God since He is eternal, immortal, and infinite. Nevertheless, He is that from which every transformation rises.” This means that, while we live in the eternal which does not change, we are forever drawing from It, or from Him, the possibility of the manifold expressions which give variety to existence and which make living interesting.
I KNOW that the changeless abides with me. I am calm and peaceful in the midst of confusion. I know that nothing moves the soul. Peace, infinite peace, is at the center of my being. I live, move, and have my being in that which is perfect, complete within itself. That self is my self.
~ 2020 ~
From Sunday, December 11th "Be the Light"
This week's reading is from 365 Science of Mind, a year of daily wisdom from Ernest Holmes.
" Today I Will Walk in the Light and My Consciousness Will Be Illuminated"
The sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.: Isaiah 60:20
There are so many illustrations in the sacred texts of the world relating to the Light. The Spirit is thought of as being the essence of light. People are spoken of as being the candles of the Lord." "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not." That is, the darkness has no power over light; light will overcome darkness, but darkness cannot overcome light. When Isaiah said that "the Lord shall be thy everlasting light", he meant that there is a light within us, the light of the Truth, of Spirit, of God that cannot set, cannot become obliterated and cannot be blown out. The "candle of the Lord" burns forever because its wick is sunk deep in the well-springs of Reality. ....
From Sunday, December 6th "Gifts of the Advent Season"
This week's reading is from 365 Science of Mind, a year of daily wisdom from Ernest Holmes. For the full reading, see page 166.
I consciously receive this Good and loose it again into action, into everything I do. I know that my presence upholds and blesses everyone whom I contact and that healing power goes from me. I know that today I shall be able to help everyone whom I meet. There is a song at the center of my being that everyone hears, a joy that everyone feels, a strength that is imparted to all. I place upon everyone I meet the seamless robe of Christ, the garment of Truth, which is the unity of God and humankind.
From Sunday, November 29th: "The Art of Receiving"
This week's reading is from the SOM magazine 11/17/2020 by Jeffon Seely “The richest we’ve been given”
Strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities - W.E.B.DuBois
"The only reason man is limited is that he has not allowed the Divine within him to more completely express." Ernest Holmes
What does it mean to live in alignment with your inherent greatness? What does it mean to recognize that you are only limited to the degree that you believe you lack something required to create a better life, whether that is a toxic thought, a dark memory, a small vision or a false idea about yourself? Does not everything we need to create a life of splendor, joy and abundance rest within our own being? If so, then perhaps our prayers, spiritual practice, vision, vision or goals aren’t about achieving more. Instead perhaps they are about releasing those internal limitations we’ve packed deep in our unconscious that restrict the flow of the Divine to completely express itself through us.
There is a powerful statement by Napoleon Hill: “I ask not, Oh Divine Providence, for more riches, but for more wisdom with which to accept and use wisely the riches I received at birth in the form of the power to control and direct my mind to what ever ends I desire.“
I carry this statement around with me daily, meditating on it and asking myself in what ways I dismiss and ignore the glorious riches I’ve been given. Today, I challenge you to not seek more in the outer world but instead to honor the riches dwelling within you.
Take time to create the mental equivalent of what you are aiming to experience first within. Feel it and create the mold. Once that is complete, allow the Divine to flow fourth in such a way that the mold is filled, and you remember your power as a co-creators in your life.
From Sunday, November 22nd: "Spirit of Thanksgiving"
From “Living in Gratitude” by Angeles Arrien
Thanksgiving Prayer of the Haudenosaunee Nation
We return thanks to our mother, the earth,
Which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams,
Which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs,
Which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and the stars,
Which have given us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun,
That has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit,
In Whom is embodied all goodness,
And Who directs all things for the good of Her children.
From Sunday, November 15th: "What is God Giving You?"
What is Life, in Its broadest sense? It is the impartation of the Spirit in us, the Source of everything we are, or hope to be, or have; and It gives in joy and without reservation, in complete abandonment. Life is a universal quality that is shared alike by all animate things, and in the human reaches its highest degree of expression. Everything in the universe lives only because it has a Divine spark incarnated in it; and we might say this spark appears to have different degrees of expression. It makes the grass grow, the bird sing. It is the genius of the artist, the dance of the dancer, the message of Jesus. The conclusion that God is all there is means that all that is is God-occupied, God-personalized, God-individualized, God in everything as that thing. God is the givingness! - Ernest Holmes
From Sunday, November 1st: Living as Compassionate Conduits - "Choosing Loving Kindness"
This week’s Sacred Reading comes from the Science of Mind text, written by Ernest Holmes - reading below is condensed, for full text see pages 143-144:
"We cannot live a choiceless life. Every day, every moment, every second, this is choice. If it were not so we would not be individuals. We have the right to choose what we wish to experience.... We have a right to choose what we shall induce in Mind. The way in which our thoughts are to become manifest, we cannot always see.....There is One Infinite Principle, One Infinite Thought-Stuff, One Infinite Creative Power, but countless numbers of forms, which change as the specific idea behind them changes."
Pema Chodron: "When we talk about mindfulness and awareness, we're not talking about something stern, a discipline that we impose on ourselves so that we can clean up our act. It's more that we practice some sense of loving kindness towards all the details of our lives. We realize that we're always standing at the center of a sacred circle. Our life's work is to wake up, to open, be curious and develop some sense of sympathy for everything that comes along."
From Sunday, October 25th: Cosmic Connections - The Story of Jabez
This week’s Sacred Reading comes from Marianne Williamson's A Return to Love:
Our Deepest Fear
“Our [greatest] deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, [amazing] fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
From Sunday, October 18th: Cosmic Connections - Building Bridges over Troubled Waters
This week’s Sacred Reading comes from Pema Chodron’s Comfortable with Uncertainty”:
“We are a poignant mixture of something that isn’t all that beautiful and yet is dearly loved. Whether this is our attitude toward ourselves or toward others, it is the key to learning how to love. … In cultivating loving-kindness, we learn first to be honest, loving, and compassionate toward ourselves. Rather than nurturing self-denigration, we begin to cultivate a clear-seeing kindness.
Sometimes we feel good and strong. Sometimes we feel inadequate and weak. But like mother-love, [loving-kindness] is unconditional; no matter how we feel, we can aspire that we be happy. We can learn to act and think in ways that sow seeds of our future well-being. Gradually, we become more aware about what causes happiness as well as what causes distress.
Without loving-kindness for ourselves, it is difficult, if not impossible, to genuinely feel it for others.
~
Sunday, October 4th: Cosmic Connections - Just Like Me
This week's Sacred Reading is the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi…Originally thought to be written by this humble priest, it is now believed it was written more recently in his honor…..
Pope John Paul II wrote on the occasion of World Day of Peace, 1 January 1990, the saint of Assisi "offers Christians an example of genuine and deep respect for the integrity of creation ..." He went on to make the point that: "As a friend of the poor who was loved by God's creatures, Saint Francis invited all of creation – animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon – to give honor and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples.
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy
O Divine Master, grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it's in dying that we are born to Eternal Life
Amen
~
The Practice:
People are asked to bring into their awareness, to imagine sitting before them, a person they wish to build compassion with. It could be a loved one, or complete stranger, or even someone with whom they may have a difficult time with.
Then, read the statements to them, and ask them to repeat it silently, in their mind, as they gently gaze upon the person that they are thinking about.
“Just Like Me Mantra”
Just like me, you are seeking some happiness in your life.
Just like me, you are trying to avoid suffering in your life.
Just like me, you have known sadness.
Just like me, you want to be loved.
Just like me, you were once an innocent child.
Just like me, you are a spirit on a journey.
Just like me, you are trying to avoid suffering in your life.
Just like me, you are seeking some happiness in your life
Just like me,… Just like me, …Just like me…
______________________________________________________________________________
From Sunday, September 20th: Faith in Action
“In order to have faith, we must have a conviction that all is well. In order to keep faith, we must allow nothing to enter our thought which will weaken this conviction. Faith is built up from belief, acceptance and trust. Whenever anything enters our thought which destroys, in any degree, one of these attitudes, to that extent faith is weakened.” Science of Mind, p. 158.
~
This weeks Sacred Reading comes from the lyrics of a recently released country western song performed by Thomas Rhett, Reba McIntyre and an ensemble of other singers.
Be a Light
In a time full of war, be peace
In a time full of doubt, just believe
Yeah, there ain't that much difference between you and me
In a time full of war, be peace
In a world full of hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light
In a place that needs change, make a difference
In a time full of noise, just listen
'Cause life is but a breeze, better live it
In a place that needs a change, make a difference
In a world full of hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Oh, don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Josh Thompson / Joshua Miller / Thomas Rhett Akins / Matthew Peters Dragstrem