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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Comfort in a Prayer

I have an on-again, off-again relationship with my prayer books. There are certain prayers I invoke all the time, but others I dig out based on where I'm at in life. Recently, I dug out my St. Elizabeth Ann Seton prayer book and, instead of mindlessly turning to the page I always read, I flipped through the book and decided to read a couple of new prayers.


I found the Serenity Prayer and read it several times. I had always known the first verse in the prayer, but didn't know that there were two more verses to it - what a well kept secret! In case you don't know the full prayer, I've typed it out below.

Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Help me to live one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time. Help me to accept hardships as the pathway to peace, taking as Your Son did this world as it is, not as I would have it.

Let me trust that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will. May I be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

Since I've read it, I can't stop thinking of the third verse. Specifically the part about being reasonably happy in this life and that it does not say supremely happy in this life. And, I think, YES, I am reasonably happy in this life and I find a lot of comfort in this thought.

1 Comments from readers:

Jenny- Sienna's mom said...

Wow what a great prayer... thank-you! I read a a few times and took in every single word. May we all be "reasonably happy" in our life.