May God bless us with discomfort
at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
so that we may live from deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of God’s creations
so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and
to turn their pain into joy.

May God bless us with just enough foolishness
to believe that we can make a difference in the world,
so that we can do what others claim cannot be done:
to bring justice and kindness to all our children and all our neighbors who are poor.

Amen.

~ JULY 22, 2016 — There are many versions of this blessing out and about. When I posted it here on July 7th I noted this and wrote that I was not certain as to the correct authorship of this prayer, often called a “Franciscan Blessing” ( a bit ironic now). I also mentioned it is also frequently found online and titled “Four-Fold Benedictine Blessing” and attributed to Sister Ruth Marlene Fox, OSB, 1985, of Sacred Heart Monastery in Richardton, ND. I tracked the author down and the original prayer is posted July 22, 2016 on The Almond Tree. You can find it by clicking here.