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,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
"Make me an instrument of Your Peace."
Peace on earth is perhaps one of the oldest desires of the human heart. Yet for ages it has been most elusive. What is the key to world peace? Can it even be attained at all?
Some of the greatest spiritual masters have taught that in order for there to be world peace, peace must first come into the human heart; that peace must come from within. How can we bring peace into the world when there is war within our hearts? First we must cultivate peace in the treasury of our own heart, and then radiate that peace outward into the lives of our friends, families, and communities. We must first learn to be the peace we seek.
How is this task accomplished? One way is through the practice of prayer and meditation. In the practice of prayer and meditation we open ourselves up to the God of our understanding, by whatever Name He or She may be known to us. In prayer we ask The Divine for the grace to be transformed; that The Divine Will be worked within our lives. In meditation we listen in silence and wait for The Holy One's response. Eventually we begin to receive that for which we have asked, a new and transformed inner being. It takes time and sincere practice, as well as the support of like minded people working together in a loving community. That is what we are working to do here at St. Francis Place; an Inter-Faith community helping people of Good Will to transform themselves into the beings we are called to become. We are not concerned with religion. A person may belong to any religion they wish, or none at all. Our concern is with Spiritual growth; a process we are all involved in whether we realize it or not. A process of drawing closer to The Divine, as we understand The Divine, seeking to be transformed by the Grace of Unconditional Love, and thus finding a true inner peace. All it takes is a sincere and open heart, a little guidance, and the time spent to sit and listen meditatively. Eventually miracles do happen!
If this sounds like a community you might be interested in, please feel free to contact us using the email address in the side bar to the right. Currently we are active world-wide on the Internet, and are seeking to build a physical community in the Missouri Ozarks. Working together we can transform hearts and lives, beginning with our own. Peace on earth is a real possibility which can be attained. But first we must realize this peace within our own hearts and become the peace we seek.
Blessings,
Ralph and Heydi
St Francis Place
Wheatland Mo.
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