"Praise God"

"Praised be God who gave me to eat and to drink.
I shall praise and bless God.

He helps the afflicted. Praise God.
He clothes the poor. Praise God.
He is bread for the hungry. Praise God.
He is a spring for the thirsty. Praise God.

He gives but none gives to Him. Praise God.
He lends but none lends to Him. Praise God.
He increases but none adds to Him. Praise God.
He teaches but none teaches Him. Praise God.

There is none save Him. Praise God."

om s'aantih: Peace! - J. K. Mohana Rao

In a world torn by violence and pain, a world far from wholeness and peace, a world waiting still to be redeemed, give us, Lord, the courage to say: There is One God in heaven and earth. The high heavens declare His glory; may earth reveal His justice and His love.

From Egypt, the house of bondage, we were delivered; at Sinai, amid peals of thunder, we bound ourselves to His purpose. Inspired by prophets and instructed by sages, we survived oppression and exile, time and again overcoming the forces that would have destroyed us.

Our failings are many — our faults are great — yet it has been our glory to bear witness to our God, and to keep alive in dark ages the vision of a world redeemed.

May this vision never fade; let us continue to work for the day when the nations will be one and at peace.

We sin against You when we sin against ourselves....

For passing judgment without knowledge of the facts,
and for distorting facts to fit our theories....

For using the sins of others to excuse our own,
and for denying responsibility for our own misfortunes....

For keeping the poor in the chains of poverty,
and turning a deaf ear to the cry of the oppressed.

For using violence to maintain our power,
and for using violence to bring about change.

For waging aggressive war,
and for the sin of appeasing aggressors.

For obeying criminal orders,
and for the sin of silence and indifference.

For poisoning the air, and polluting land and sea,
and for all the evil means we employ to accomplish good ends....

For using others as a means to gratify our desires,
and as stepping-stones to further our ambitions.

For withholding love to control those we claim to love,
and shunting aside those whose youth or age disturbs us....

Teach us to forgive ourselves for all these sins, O forgiving God, and help us to overcome them.