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People are often
unreasonable, illogical,
and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind,
people may accuse
you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will
win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
people
may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
there may be jealousy;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
people
will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis,
it
is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
-- Mother Theresa
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ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
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;
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.
St. Francis was born at Assisi in 1182. After a carefree youth, he turned his back on inherited wealth and committed himself
to God. Like many early saints, he lived a very simple life of poverty, and in so doing, gained a reputation of being the
friend of animals. He established the rule of St Francis, which exists today as the Order of St. Francis, or the Franciscans.
He died in 1226, age 44.
Pointers for Meditation : We are called to turn the world upside down; to bring the exact opposite of what we
find in our world. St. Francis' prayer is a bold one, asking for strength to give of ourselves to meet the needs of others.
He recognizes that it "is in giving that we receive", that as we give of ourselves, we receive peace and blessings.
Think about the situations that you are involved in that require peace, consolation, hope, light and joy. When you
face bigotry and hatred, be bold enough to pray the prayer!
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