Summer Blessings: Courage

SOURCE OF ALL BLESSINGS,

you bless us with courage —
yes, the rare outstanding courage
of rescue works, martyrs,
mountaineers, and pioneers on the
forefront of thought and service,
but even more so the valor
of all who bear up under ordinary
hardship and the daily grind of
repetition, dead tired, yet with
a smile. May I remember their
unself-conscious gallantry and
imitate their brave kindness.

Sense how it feels to honor courage as it humbles and inspires us. When we allow ourselves to connect with boldness and simple stamina, we venture into new territory and experience freshly-revealed vistas with curiosity and heart.

“May this patchwork quilt of blessings help to sharpen your taste for the gift of life in its innumerable facets,” Br. David writes. “May you grow ever more blessed, ever more able to bless.”

Should you be inspired, please leave a reflection below…

Enjoy the full eight-day Summer Blessings I practice series.

Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB

Brother David Steindl-Rast — author, scholar, and Benedictine monk — is beloved the world over for his enduring message about gratefulness as the true source of lasting happiness. Known to many as the “grandfather of gratitude,” Br. David has been a source of inspiration and spiritual friendship to countless leaders and luminaries around the world including Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton, and more. He has been one of the most important figures in the modern interfaith dialogue movement, and has taught with thought-leaders such as Eckhart Tolle, Jack Kornfield, and Roshi Joan Halifax. His wisdom has been featured in recent interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Krista Tippett, and Tami Simon and his TED talk has been viewed almost 10,000,000 times. Learn more about Br. David here.

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