This morning our priest read to us from Edward Hays’ book of Prayers for the Domestic Church. His New Year’s Blessing really resonated with me. I hope it does with you as well. Happy New Year, dear readers!
New Year’s Blessing Prayer for Clocks and Calendars
“Lord, You who live outside of time
and reside in the imperishable moment,
we ask Your blessing this new year’s day
upon Your gift to us of T I M E.Bless our clocks and watches,
You who kindly direct us
to observe the passing of minutes and hours.May they make us aware of the miracle
of each second of life we experience.May these our ticking servants
help us not to miss that which is important,
while You keep us from machine-like routine.May we ever be free from being clock watchers
and instead become time lovers.Bless our calendars,
these ordered lists of days, weeks and months,
of holidays, holydays, fasts and feasts –
all our special days of remembering.May these servants, our calendars,
once reserved for the royal few,
for Magi and pyramid priests,
now grace our homes and our lives.May they remind us of birthdays and other gift-days,
as they teach us the secret:
that all life
is meant for celebration
and contemplation.”
Yes, time lover – that’s what I need to resolve to be each day I’m given here on the planet. Thank you for that prayer. Gratitude shouldn’t be hard to muster, but sometimes I’m so knee deep in the clutter of daily life I forget to look outside the window and see how glorious it all is. Yesterday we got a foot and a half of fresh snow, the first day back to school for my four was a snow day instead, Rather than bemoan an extended vacation, I saw the day for what it was, a gift, a surprise of weather, its silence broken occasionally by the muffled roar of a snow plow, and delighted cries from a sledding hill down the street. Today I am stunned by unbroken sunlight reflecting off this bright white and rounded landscape. I’ll run with my heart full and my blessings counted,