A QUOTE, A TEXT AND A PRAYER…OR TWO
A QUOTE
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, they may be jealous; 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.
From The Paradoxical Commandments, by Dr. Kent M. Keith. Mother Teresa quoted this often
A TEXT
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; •
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord and bless his name; •
tell out his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations •
and his wonders among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; •
he is more to be feared than all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are but idols; •
it is the Lord who made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him; •
power and splendour are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; •
ascribe to the Lord honour and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; •
bring offerings and come into his courts.
9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; •
let the whole earth tremble before him.
10 Tell it out among the nations that the Lord is king. •
He has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
11 Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; •
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;
12 Let the fields be joyful and all that is in them; •
let all the trees of the wood shout for joy before the Lord.
13 For he comes, he comes to judge the earth; •
with righteousness he will judge the world
and the peoples with his truth. Psalm 96
AND A PRAYER…OR TWO
O God of Elizabeth and Mary,
you visited your servants with news of the world’s redemption
in the coming of the Savior.
Make our hearts leap with joy,
and fill our mouths with songs of praise,
that we may announce glad tidings of peace,
and welcome the Christ in our midst. Amen