Vision
OPENING
"Behold! A sacred voice is calling you!
— All over the sky a sacred voice is calling!"
— Black Elk
PSALM
A Prayer of Black Elk
"Antiphon: Grandfather, Great Spirit, hear me! Listen to my voice calling you!
"Grandfather, Great Spirit, you have been always, and before you no one has been.
There is no other one to pray to but you.
You yourself, everything that you see, everything has been made by you.
"The star nations all over the Universe you have finished.
The four quarters of the Earth you have finished.
The day, and in that day, everything you have finished.
"Grandfather, Great Spirit, lean close to the Earth that you may hear the voice I send.
You towards where the Sun goes down, behold me;
Thunder Beings, behold me!
You where the White Giant lives in power, behold me!
"You where the Sun shines continually, whence come the day-break star and the day, behold me!
You where the summer lives, behold me!
You in the depths of the heavens, an eagle of power, behold!
And you, Mother Earth, the only Mother, you who have shown mercy to your children!
"Hear me, four quarters of the world — relative I am!
Give me strength to walk the soft Earth, a relative to all that is!
Give me eyes to see and the strength to understand,
that I may be like you.
With your power only can I face the winds.
"Great Spirit, Great Spirit, my Grandfather, all over the Earth the faces of living things are all alike.
With tenderness have these come up out of the ground.
"Look upon these faces of children without number
and with children in their arms,
that they may face the winds and walk the good road to the day of quiet.
This is my prayer; hear me!
The voice I have sent is weak, yet with earnestness I have sent it. Hear me!"
"Antiphon: Grandfather, Great Spirit, hear me! Listen to my voice calling you!"
FIRST READING
"Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beneath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the sacred hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that is was holy."
— Black Elk
SECOND READING
"The Six Grandfathers have placed in this world many things, all of which should be happy. Every little thing is sent for something, and in that thing there should be happiness and the power to make happy. Like the grasses showing tender faces to each other, thus we should do, for this was the wish of the Grandfathers of the World."
— Black Elk
MEDITATION
"In a sacred manner I am breathing
In a sacred manner I am quiet"
(Silence)
"In a sacred manner I am breathing
In a sacred manner I am quiet"
PRAYER
"Response: Help us to seek the sacred way, Great Spirit.
"When we are a broken people . . .
"When we no longer love either neighbor or stranger . . .
"When we no longer include plants and animals in our family . . .
"When we no longer love our children and teach them well . . .
"When we no longer hope in visions and dreams . . .
"When our understanding chills our love and ideals . . .
"When we forget that the Earth is our Mother, the Universe our Father . . .
"When life is no longer sacred . . .
"When we are a broken planet . . .
"Response: Help us to seek the sacred way, Great Spirit."
CLOSING
"Grandfather, Great Spirit, behold us and lean to hear our feeble voice. You lived before us. All things belong to you, all living things. The good road and the road of difficulties you have made to cross; and where they cross, the place is holy. Day in and day out, forever, you are the life of things. You have said that we may approach you. Hear our prayers this night.
— Amen."
BLESSING
"Great Spirit, behold us in kindness tonight. Grant us the day to be our companion, the night to be our comfort. May we walk in kindness with all creatures, may your sacred way be found upon the Earth.
— Amen."
(Or)
"Now may every living thing,
young or old,
weak or strong,
living near or far,
known or unknown,
living or departed or yet unborn,
May every living thing,
be full of bliss."
— The Buddha
— Amen.
