Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.” Ps. 122:6-7
In Psalm 122, the singer is rejoicing that he can go into the city of Jerusalem. He is saying that this is the place of the Lord and this is where the people go to praise. This is where the people listen to the judgment of the Lord. The singer then prays and hopes for peace inside the city. The singer hopes for peace with family and friends and peace in the house of the Lord.
One word that is repeated throughout the passage is the word peace. Peace is shown many times in the Catechism including this passage:
2304 “Respect for and development of human life require peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity. Peace is "the tranquillity of order." Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity.”
One core value of Hoban is zeal. Zeal is “a hunger for mission, a passion to continue what Jesus of Nazareth began through His life, teaching, and example”. This relates to Psalm 122 because the people were passionate about continuing to follow the Lord by going to Jerusalem. They desired to be faithful to the Lord. Also, “zeal responds to the needs of others in generosity and love”, and at the end of this psalm, it talks about wishing for peace and prosperity of others. How do you build peace in your life? Are your daily action and attitudes means for building peace?
The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
--- Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.” Ps. 122:6-7
In Psalm 122, the singer is rejoicing that he can go into the city of Jerusalem. He is saying that this is the place of the Lord and this is where the people go to praise. This is where the people listen to the judgment of the Lord. The singer then prays and hopes for peace inside the city. The singer hopes for peace with family and friends and peace in the house of the Lord.
One word that is repeated throughout the passage is the word peace. Peace is shown many times in the Catechism including this passage:
2304 “Respect for and development of human life require peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity. Peace is "the tranquillity of order." Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity.”
One core value of Hoban is zeal. Zeal is “a hunger for mission, a passion to continue what Jesus of Nazareth began through His life, teaching, and example”. This relates to Psalm 122 because the people were passionate about continuing to follow the Lord by going to Jerusalem. They desired to be faithful to the Lord. Also, “zeal responds to the needs of others in generosity and love”, and at the end of this psalm, it talks about wishing for peace and prosperity of others. How do you build peace in your life? Are your daily action and attitudes means for building peace?
The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
--- Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
This was a prayer that really made me think, that life can never be changed. Even though you have made mistakes in your past, it is telling you to basically forget the past in move on. It is almost as the Chicago Serenity Prayer, my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE the serenity prayer. My 7th grade teacher said it occassionally, so I memorized it and taught it to my family. My mom already knew it, but they use it a lot now too. It truly helps us to remember that everything really IS in God's hands, and sometimes... we have to accept the things we can't change, no matter how much we want them to.
ReplyDeleteThis prayer is a great lesson to everyone. It shows that you can't control some things, but the things you can, need to be done right. It also reminds how God has some conrtrol in our life.
ReplyDeleteNice prayer choice. It reminds us that we need to put our full trust in God. Also, it tells us that there will always be struggles, but if we follow God, we will get through them.
ReplyDeleteThe Serenity Prayer is one of my favorite prayers of all time. It reminds me that God has everything handled and everything happens for a reason. We can't change somethings, and the things we can change take courage to accomplish.
ReplyDelete