O Great Spirit, who art before all
else and who dwells in every object, in every person and in every
place, we cry unto Thee. We summon Thee from the far places into
our present awareness.
O Great Spirit of the North, who
gives wings to the waters of the air and rolls the thick snowstorm
before Thee, Who covers the Earth with a sparkling crystal carpet
above whose deep tranquillity every sound is beautiful. Temper us
with strength to withstand the biting blizzards, yet make us thankful
for the beauty which follows and lies deep over the warm Earth in
its wake.
O Great Spirit of the East, the land
of the rising Sun, Who holds in Your right hand the years of our
lives and in Your left the opportunities of each day. Brace us that
we may not neglect our gifts nor lose in laziness the hopes of each
day and the hopes of each year.
O Great Spirit of the South, whose
warm breath of compassion melts the ice that gathers round our hearts,
whose fragrance speaks of distant springs and summer days, dissolve
our fears, melt our hatreds, kindle our love into flames of true
and living realities. Teach us that he who is truly strong is also
kind, he who is wise tempers justice with mercy, he who is truly
brave matches courage with compassion.
O Great Spirit of the West, the land
of the setting Sun, with Your soaring mountains and free, wide rolling
prairies, bless us with knowledge of the peace which follows purity
of striving and the freedom which follows like a flowing robe in
the winds of a well-disciplined life. Teach us that the end is better
than the beginning and that the setting sun glorifies not in vain.
O Great Spirit of the heavens, in
the day's infinite blue and amid the countless stars of the night
season, remind us that you are vast, that you are beautiful and
majestic beyond all of our knowing or telling, but also that you
are no further from us than the tilting upwards of our heads and
the raising of our eyes.
O Great Spirit of Mother Earth beneath
our feet, Master of metals, Germinator of seeds and the Storer of
the Earth's unreckoned resources, help us to give thanks unceasingly
for Your present bounty.
O Great Spirit of our souls, burning
in our heart's yearning and in our innermost aspirations, speak
to us now and always so that we may be aware of the greatness and
goodness of Your gift of life and be worthy of this priceless privilege
of living.
©1996 Noel
Knockwood, B.A.
Elder