innumerable labors, causes, conditions
have brought us
this dancing prayer of a man,
a monk, sometime hermit….
Celebrating 91 years of the life and work of Br. David!
This week, for the occasion of Br. David’s 91st birthday on July 12th, we are delighted to celebrate “this dancing prayer of a man” with a poem in his honor; reflections on his life and work; and a preview of some wonderful things we can look forward to from him in the months ahead.
Enjoy “Contemplation of a Monk,” a joyful poem – excerpted above – by Steven Harper, who recites his tribute in the 4-minute video below:
At Br. David’s 90th Birthday Event in San Francisco in July 2016, Margaret Wakeley offered a short biographical overview (14:00) of Br. David’s life, featuring special photographs from his archives to chronicle his youth and interfaith work. We hope you enjoy this playful retrospective:
And Br. David has much more to share!
Here are a couple of exciting, new things we can look forward to enjoying later this year…
“…Looking back at the years of war, I see that in the darkest, most unhappy moments, an inner joy gave me strength. It was a joy that did not depend on happiness or unhappiness. But on what did it depend? I brood over this question. And then, out of the blue, a sentence pops into my mind: “To have death before one’s eyes at all times.”
In September, 2017, Br. David’s autobiography i am through you so i published by Paulist Press, will be released. You can now pre-order your copy of this much-anticipated book!
Mark your calendars! Coming in the Fall of 2017, Br. David’s recent interview with Oprah Winfrey will be aired on Super Soul Sunday. We are all very much looking forward to this conversation between two large-hearted visionaries. We will share more details with you in September.
Harpo, Inc./Huy Doan
On this happy day every year, we thank you, dear Br. David, for the wisdom, insights and joy you have so generously offered, and continue to share. We wish you a peaceful, healthy, love-filled next year of your life. We are all so profoundly grateful that you were born!
– The Gratefulness Team
If your life has been inspired by Br. David’s work and you feel moved to express your gratitude, please join us in honoring Br. David with a Gift & Wish for his continued well-being, and to support his lifetime of teachings and the preservation of his legacy. Thank you. Send A Gift & Wish
Br. David Steindl-Rast
Thank you Brother David – your wisdom, your humor, your practicality, your scholarship. You started me on my spiritual journey with “Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer” in the mid-80s. It continues to this day thanks to your good work!
A kowtow of gratitude for a man of selfless purity, the kind that is vanishing from our world in this ‘advanced’ age of materialism.
A deep bow of gratitude to dear Brother David, happy birthday!