Kia tau te rangimārie ki a koutou
“Just to be is a blessing, just to be is holy.” I discovered this quote of Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Jewish Rabbi, many years ago. I am sure the saying is known to many of you: “Just to live is holy, just to be is a blessing.” I thought of it again a few days ago when a beautiful book was given to me called “Benedictus – A Book of Blessings.”
As I have been using this book to pray with and reflect I have also been thinking of how good it would be, what a blessing it would be, if we could see that everything is a blessing, that all is gift and that God is the Giver behind the gift. The author of this book, John O’Donoghue, wrote in the introduction:
“In the parched deserts of post-modernity a blessing can be like the discovery of a fresh well. It would be lovely if we could rediscover our power to bless each other. I believe each of us can bless. When a blessing is involved it changes the atmosphere. In the light and reverence of a blessing, a person or situation becomes illuminated in a completely new way.”
What a privilege it would be for each of us to change the atmosphere around us, to illuminate persons and situations by living in such a way that we are a blessing for everyone else. We can do this if we see that it is a holy thing just to be alive, it is a blessing. However that is not possible for everyone, for many people life is a struggle, there are crises to contend with, the heartache of broken relationships, the challenge for many of putting food on the table and staying warm and dry in the winter. Such situations are opportunities to be a blessing for one another.
Perhaps, this prayer might help us. I know it helps me at the beginning of each day.
“May I live this day
Compassionate of heart
Clear in word
Gracious in awareness
Courageous in thought
Generous in love.”
I pray that today and every day is a blessing for you.
Nāku noa. Nā
+John