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Blessed are the Landmines
by Brave Saint Saturn

Blessed are the land-mines
Stretched across the desert floor
God, bless the hands that formed them
Filled their shrapnel hearts with war
May You bless the companies
The goose that laid the golden egg
May they make a million more
Blowing off a million legs
Blessed are the black-tongued ravens
Substituting fear for reason
To hate war is to hate us
If you love peace, then you must love treason
Beat your plowshares into swords
Beat your pulpits, turn your tables
Blessed are the hand-grenades
Bless the church who rattles sabers

This house, is burning
This poison still is worming
This temple, will cave in
There’s nothing here worth saving

Nail the gold up to the altar
Like Ahab taunts his crew to war
Blessed are the shareholders
Lack of faith is for the poor
Hold your wallets to the sky
A temple built to sooth yourself
Blessed is the church who tries
To help you build blessed wealth

Rule of St. Benedict

Let us get up then, at long last, for the Scriptures rouse us when they say: It is high time for us to arise from sleep. Let us open our eyes to the light that comes from God, and our ears to the voice from heaven that every day calls out this charge: If you hear his voice today, do not harden your hearts.

Canticle of Brother Son

by St. Francis of Assisi

Most high, all-powerful,
all good, Lord!
All praise is yours,
all glory, all honour,
and all blessing.

To you alone, Most High,
do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through all that you have made,
and first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day;
and light you give to us through him.

How beautiful is he,
how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High,
he bears the likeness.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them,
bright and precious and fair.

All praise be yours, My Lord,
through Brothers Wind and Air,
and fair and stormy,
all the weather’s moods,
by which you cherish all that you have made.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Sister Water,
so useful, lowly, precious,
and pure.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Brother Fire,
THrough whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how gay!
Full of power and strength.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
various fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through those who grant pardon for love of you;
through those who endure sickness and trial.

Happy those who endure in peace,
by you, Most High,
they will be crowned.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Sister Death,
from whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord,
and give him thanks,
and serve him with great humility.

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and shallow relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, 
Be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more.
Amen.

Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, Make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon,
Where there is discord, union,
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is error, truth,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is sadness, joy,
Where there is darkness, light.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen