Listen

I re-read a prayer tonight that resonated with me and that speaks to the purpose of this blog, I think. Here's what it says,


Teach me to listen, O God, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers.
Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, the message is,
"Accept the person I am. Listen to me."
Teach me to listen, my caring God, to those far from me --
the whisper of the hopeless, the plea of the forgotten, the cry of the anguished.
Teach me to listen, O God my Mother, to myself.
Help me to be less afraid to trust the voice inside -- in the deepest part of me.
Teach me to listen, Holy Spirit, for your voice -- in busyness and in boredom,
in certainty and in doubt, in noise and in silence. Teach me, Lord, to listen. Amen.
- John Veltri, S.J.


Whether it is to listen, to see, to feel, to be mindful, intentional, or present... At the risk of being terribly cheesy, my hope is that this blog will be a space for people to share where they felt kinship-- a connection with someone else, or with God, or whatever you believe in, or simply "accepted"-- in their days.  May it bring us greater peace, and joy, and strength to endure the tougher times. 

So, what's your happy word of the day?