Benediction – Smith College Commencement, May 21, 2006
It’s time to go.
So, for one last time, be here.
Put both of your feet on the ground.
Tip your face to the sky,
And take a deep breath.
You are part of the circle of women (and men) that Sophia Smith dreamed would be a force for good in the world. But in order to bear that burden of expectation and hope, you will need to be flexible and strong. You will need access to your whole self – body, mind, and soul. My blessing today is adapted from Joy Harjo’s work, “Eagle Poem,”
“I pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can’t see, can’t hear,
Can’t know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren’t always sound but other
Circles of motion. . .
Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
we are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us.
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.”
Go now, you blessed ones,
go where love and hope are needed,
and bless the world.
Amen.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Dreaming a broken world whole
Benediction at Smith School for Social Work Commencement - 2005
The great musican and conductor, Yehudi Menuhin wrote:
"each human being has the eternal duty of transforming what is hard and brutal into a subtle and tender offering, what is crude into refinement, what is ugly into beauty, ignorance into knowledge, confrontation into collaboration . . ."
And it is somehow, the social worker's vocation to aid us all in this difficult work of transformation, to dream a broken world whole.
May earth below and heaven above hold you.
May wind and light guide you.
May love and anger embolden you.
May you always remember that you are loved and beloved,
blessing and blessed.
Go now in peace to do the work you have been given to do in the world.
The great musican and conductor, Yehudi Menuhin wrote:
"each human being has the eternal duty of transforming what is hard and brutal into a subtle and tender offering, what is crude into refinement, what is ugly into beauty, ignorance into knowledge, confrontation into collaboration . . ."
And it is somehow, the social worker's vocation to aid us all in this difficult work of transformation, to dream a broken world whole.
May earth below and heaven above hold you.
May wind and light guide you.
May love and anger embolden you.
May you always remember that you are loved and beloved,
blessing and blessed.
Go now in peace to do the work you have been given to do in the world.
May Wisdom Bless you with Discomfort - Social Work Commencment Benediction , 2003
Smith College for Social Work Commencement Benediction, August 15, 2003
(adapted from a prayer of unknown authorship)
May Wisdom bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so you will live deep within your heart.
May Justice bless you with outrage at oppression and cruelty, so you will strive for integrity, freedom, and peace.
May Compassion bless you with tears for those who suffer so you will have the strength to love the stranger and the outcast.
May Courage bless you with awareness of your fear so you can act wisely even when you are afraid.
May Foolishness bless you with the conviction that you can make a difference, so you will do the good things that others say cannot - or should not -- be done.
May beauty lie before you,
May beauty lie behind you,
May beauty lie on your right hand and on your left.
May you walk in beauty all the days of your life.
(adapted from a prayer of unknown authorship)
May Wisdom bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so you will live deep within your heart.
May Justice bless you with outrage at oppression and cruelty, so you will strive for integrity, freedom, and peace.
May Compassion bless you with tears for those who suffer so you will have the strength to love the stranger and the outcast.
May Courage bless you with awareness of your fear so you can act wisely even when you are afraid.
May Foolishness bless you with the conviction that you can make a difference, so you will do the good things that others say cannot - or should not -- be done.
May beauty lie before you,
May beauty lie behind you,
May beauty lie on your right hand and on your left.
May you walk in beauty all the days of your life.
Passing from Insight to Action: Social Work Commencement Invocation, 2004
Invocation for Smith College for Social Work Commencement, August 20, 2004
Based on the poem “Now is the time” by Hafiz (12th century Persian)
The Upanishads of Hindu wisdom say, "That which makes the eye see but which cannot be seen by the eye, that alone is God."
Insight is a door opened. But it is awareness that leads to insight. And it is courage and hope which makes the passage from insight to action possible. You, our graduates, will be companions to others seeking courage, hope, and healing -- and this will change you. And, by grace, you welcome this challenge. What a gift. What a blessing.
Please let us join in a moment of mindfulness and gratitude together.
Mindful of those who have walked this path before us,
Thankful for those teachers whose lessons we have found difficult to learn,
Thankful for the learning which has changed us,
Mindful of the ancestors, scholars, prophets, and saints who uphold this gathering,
and the Spirit of Wisdom that inspires it,
Let us remember
That the possibility of love, of peace, of wholeness
is ever patient, ever present.
This is a time
For us to deeply comprehend the possibility
that there is only Grace.
That everything we will do today
in this place
is sacred;
Is Blessing and Blessed.
May it be so.
Based on the poem “Now is the time” by Hafiz (12th century Persian)
The Upanishads of Hindu wisdom say, "That which makes the eye see but which cannot be seen by the eye, that alone is God."
Insight is a door opened. But it is awareness that leads to insight. And it is courage and hope which makes the passage from insight to action possible. You, our graduates, will be companions to others seeking courage, hope, and healing -- and this will change you. And, by grace, you welcome this challenge. What a gift. What a blessing.
Please let us join in a moment of mindfulness and gratitude together.
Mindful of those who have walked this path before us,
Thankful for those teachers whose lessons we have found difficult to learn,
Thankful for the learning which has changed us,
Mindful of the ancestors, scholars, prophets, and saints who uphold this gathering,
and the Spirit of Wisdom that inspires it,
Let us remember
That the possibility of love, of peace, of wholeness
is ever patient, ever present.
This is a time
For us to deeply comprehend the possibility
that there is only Grace.
That everything we will do today
in this place
is sacred;
Is Blessing and Blessed.
May it be so.
Every Moment a Blessing: Commencement Invocation -- Smith 2004
(Hafiz translation by Daniel Ladinsky)
On this commencement day we have feelings of pride, satisfaction,
a sense of accomplishment and profound joy;
it is a blessing to be here together,
but it is a mixed blessing.
While we celebrate with friends and family, professors and classmates,
and anticipate the moment when you graduates will walk across this stage,
we also become aware of who is not here today.
You have loved ones – parents, partners, grandparents, friends, children – who are not here.
Some could not be here today because of other commitments, illness, or even death.
Some could not come because of political unrest in your home country, terrorism,
economic hardship, or war.
Remember them and your love for them; their love for you.
Bring them all here.
Every moment, every breath is blessing.
Every encounter an opportunity to greet the sacred.
Allow this moment in your life to be such a moment.
A holy occasion. An instance of exquisite attention to the present moment.
In a world of injustice, war and strife,
In times of stress, sacrifice, and difficulty,
grace and peace is there, too;
Waiting for you to notice it. To be nourished by it.
Because when I look out from here, I see an ocean of grace
-- the love you have given and the love you have received.
This grace has carried you here and will sustain you.
So hear now the wisdom of a 12th century Sufi teacher,
Hafiz:
This is a time
For us to deeply comprehend the possibility
that there is nothing but Grace.
Now is the season to know
that everything we do
is sacred.
Let us rest in this ocean of love and thanksgiving.
Let blessing unimpeded wash over us.
My friends, let us begin . . . .
On this commencement day we have feelings of pride, satisfaction,
a sense of accomplishment and profound joy;
it is a blessing to be here together,
but it is a mixed blessing.
While we celebrate with friends and family, professors and classmates,
and anticipate the moment when you graduates will walk across this stage,
we also become aware of who is not here today.
You have loved ones – parents, partners, grandparents, friends, children – who are not here.
Some could not be here today because of other commitments, illness, or even death.
Some could not come because of political unrest in your home country, terrorism,
economic hardship, or war.
Remember them and your love for them; their love for you.
Bring them all here.
Every moment, every breath is blessing.
Every encounter an opportunity to greet the sacred.
Allow this moment in your life to be such a moment.
A holy occasion. An instance of exquisite attention to the present moment.
In a world of injustice, war and strife,
In times of stress, sacrifice, and difficulty,
grace and peace is there, too;
Waiting for you to notice it. To be nourished by it.
Because when I look out from here, I see an ocean of grace
-- the love you have given and the love you have received.
This grace has carried you here and will sustain you.
So hear now the wisdom of a 12th century Sufi teacher,
Hafiz:
This is a time
For us to deeply comprehend the possibility
that there is nothing but Grace.
Now is the season to know
that everything we do
is sacred.
Let us rest in this ocean of love and thanksgiving.
Let blessing unimpeded wash over us.
My friends, let us begin . . . .
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