Jesus has a few things to say

Woe to you American Christians! You say I'm the "son of God" and yet you bully the defenseless in my name.

Frank Schaeffer has posted an awesome "Open Letter from Jesus to 'Christian' America." I commend the whole thing to you.

--the BB

Sealing all the entries

From +++JN1034 (in a comment thread):

As I've told my students for decades (most forget, many choose not to remember):

To deny our common heritage and witness as Christians is to refuse attempts at visible unity, thereby propagating the great heresy that the Holy Eucharist - that is God's own being - is an exclusive privilege of a few, and that the Holy Spirit is limited to even less. What value has Baptism and Chrismation to the ones claiming Paradise while sealing all entries?

Господу помориця:

Most Holy and Lifegiving Trinity, in whom we live and move and have our being, in your infinite compassion look upon your warring children and touch our hearts that the doors thereof may open and that we may behold one another through your merciful eyes. Suffer us not to turn from one another but grant that turning our faces toward each other we may turn them unto you, whose Light illumines all who come into this world. To you be glory now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

--the BB

Holy Laika, pray for us

Laika (photo via NASA)

Laika was a street dog from Moscow, taken from a shelter and sent into orbit, the first recorded living creature to go into orbit on Sputnik 2, on 3 November 1957. Alas, she perished from stress and overheating. Through no choice of her own, Laika proved that living creatures can survive being sent into orbit and experiencing weightlessness. [Info from Wikipedia. Another retelling of her story posted on this day in 1999 is found here.]

She is symbolic of how we humans use other creatures for our purposes with little regard for their good. Their is a beautiful and moving tribute to Laika here. Rowan the Dog honors here on his blog. I like Rowan's prayer: "Hail blessed Laika, bless all us dogs and make us brave like you. WOOF!"

Saint Laika is the patron of OCICBW and I thank MadPriest for reminding me of her (I was only eleven when she soared). Those of us who love critters (perhaps especially dogs) see her as a canine martyr.

On this, her feast, let us remember our siblings the four-leggeds.

May we bless these animals
with Noah-like protection
from all that might harm them.
May we, like Adam and Eve,
speak to these creatures of yours
with kindness and affection,
reverencing their life and purpose
in our common creation.

May your abundant blessing rest upon these creatures
who are our companions in the journey of life.
Amen.

[From The Blessing of Our Relatives, a service borrowing from the Roman Catholic Book of Blessings, adapted here, and other sources.]

Let us also remember the less fortunate creatures of this world.

Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals, especially for those animals that are suffering; for all that are overworked and underfed and cruelly treated; for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat against the bars; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened; for all that are in pain or dying; for all that must be put to death. We entreat for those who deal with them a heart of compassion, gentle hands, and kind words; that they may share thus the blessing of the merciful. For you, O lord, will save both human and beast, and great is your loving-kindness. Amen.

[I believe this is a Russian prayer, which would be especially fitting. I copied it years ago from a collection of prayers edited by Massey H. Shepherd.]

UPDATE: I located the book. The prayer is identified simply as "Russian" with no further details. It is #144 on page 52 of A Companion of Prayer for Daily Living, prepared and edited by Massey H. Shepherd, Jr. (Wilton, CT: Morehouse-Barlow Co., Inc., 1978).

Holy Laika, pray for us.
--the BB

If I were a bird

If I were a bird
and able to fly afar,
I would like to be a white dove
to guide the people to freedom.
If I were a cloud in the sky,
I would shelter and bring rains
to the rice field.
If I were a grain of sand
I would throw myself down
to make a path for the people.
I will sacrifice my life
for the suffering people.
I would sacrifice myself
no matter how many times
I would have to die.
--Nid, Thailand

[This song was written by a twenty-two-year-old student at Mahidol University who sang it at the demonstration against the return of Field Marshal Thanom. When police attacked the demonstrators, Nid was shot and killed."]

The song and comment above are taken from Gifts of Many Cultures: Worship Resources for the Global Community, edited by Maren C. Tirabassi and Kathy Wonson Eddy (Cleveland, Ohio: United Church Press, 1995), page 208. I trust this reproduction falls within their understanding of "educational use with appropriate acknowledgment."

AFP photo via Aljazeera.net

God of Creation, by whose gracious gift all things spring from infinite density and flourish with diversity, you cradle the worlds in your compassion. Look now with mercy on the people of Myanmar and grant that the peoples of the world may be enlightened to see our Burmese sisters and brothers with awareness and solidarity. Grant courage to those who stand up for the multitudes, hope to the persecuted, perseverance to those who must endure, repentance to those who oppress, and a new day of self-determination, dignity, and justice. Pour your grace upon the monks and those who march with them and bathe all things in your mercy.
--the BB