November 1963

Blog Post #94

In November of 1963, President John F. Kenndy said the following about gratitude:

“Over three centuries ago, our forefathers… set aside a time of thanksgiving… gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together and for the faith which united them with their God.

”So too when the colonies achieved their independence, our first President… proclaimed ‘a day of public thanksgiving and prayer be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many favors of Almighty God’ and called upon the people of the new republic to ‘beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions… to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue… and to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.’

”In the midst of America's tragic civil war, President Lincoln proclaimed… ‘a day to renew our gratitude for America's fruitful fields, for our national strength and vigor, and for all our singular deliverances and blessings.’

“Today we give our thanks, most of all, for the ideals of honor and faith we inherit from our forefathers — for the decency of purpose, steadfastness of resolve and strength of will, for the courage and the humility, which our forefathers possessed and which we must seek every day to emulate.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

”Let us gather in sanctuaries dedicated to worship and in homes blessed by family affection to express our gratitude for the glorious gifts of God; and let us earnestly and humbly pray that He will continue to guide and sustain us in the great unfinished tasks of achieving peace, justice, and understanding among all men and nations; and of ending misery and suffering wherever they exist.”

“This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

— President John F. Kennedy

Peace Affirming Prayer

Peace fills my mind and flows through all my thoughts.

Peace fills my heart and flows through all my love.

Peace fills my soul and goodwill flows to all.

Peace fills my being and permeates all my activities.

Peace within. Peace without. Peace everywhere.

Peace in my mind. Peace in my heart. Peace in my soul.

Peace in me. Peace in my home. Peace in my country. Peace in my world.

Peace everywhere.

Amen.

Ukrainian folklore characterizes pysanky as a symbolic, talismanic writing that invokes a higher Universal Power for help, while believing with faithful certainty that It will. The contemporary version of this characterization is a paper-and-pen journaling practice called prayer writing that develops a personal relationship with God.