May 5
_Bishop Brooks taught me no special creed or dogma; but he impressed upon my mind two great ideas--the fatherhood of G.o.d and the brotherhood of man, and made me feel that these truths underlie all creeds and forms of worship. G.o.d is love, G.o.d is our Father, we are His children; therefore the darkest clouds will break, and though right be worsted, wrong shall not triumph. He said: "There is one universal religion, Helen--the religion of love. Love your Heavenly Father with your whole heart and soul, love every child of G.o.d as much as ever you can, and remember that the possibilities of good are greater than the possibilities of evil; and you have the key to Heaven."_
HELEN KELLER.
Infinite Spirit! We shall not look upon Thee as a friend looketh upon the face of his friend, but may we learn to see Thee in every form of life and beauty and service here in this great world of Nature and of Man. May we discover Thee in the midst of common things and then they shall no more be common, but all things shall be sacred and divine. May we see Thy face in all human faces, clasp Thy hand in all human hands, and when we have walked with a friend, or talked with those we love, may it be as a walk with Thee and a communion with Thee. May we not think of Thee as afar off but always near, making all things holy. May we realize that it is a diviner thing to serve the lowly who need our help than to praise the Infinite who needeth not. May the sense of Thy presence in all things be the inspiration and interpretation of all days for us.
Amen.
E. L. REXFORD.
May 6
_The brown, brown woods of March Are the green, green woods of May, And they lift their arms with a freer swing And shake out their pennons gay.
And the brown, dead world of March, Is the living world of today; Life throbs and flushes and flashes out In the color and fragrance of May._
ANONYMOUS.
Infinite Spirit of the winter and the summer and of the night and the morning, Thou hast watched over and guarded, during its winter sleep and rest, this earth which Thou hast made, and which Thou hast made for a purpose--to be beautiful and fruitful in its season, to be a humble and obedient servant of Thy will of goodness. And now, as the woods of May are radiant in the beauty of springtime, and ready to do Thy will; so as we wake to the opportunity of this new day, may we rejoice in the privilege of living to Thee and doing Thy will in the glad service of lives lived as the Master lived. Amen.
GEORGE WALLACE PENNIMAN.
May 7
_One who never turned his back, but marched breast forward, Never doubted clouds would break, Never dreamed, though right were worsted,--wrong would triumph, Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better, Sleep to wake._
ROBERT BROWNING.
Our Father, in the heaven, we thank Thee for the birth of a new day. May we be full of gladness during its golden hours, may our hearts be tranquil with G.o.d"s peace. A day is a part of Thy eternity. Thou hast set us in the battle, Thou art watching us in the fight; Thou art training us by well-accepted controversy. May nothing of Thy purpose be lost because of the blinding details of the conflict. Strengthen our hearts to do the work of this day. Help us to be as grateful as we are dependent upon G.o.d. Inspire our whole life; help us quickly to learn why we are here, what we are to do while here, and the path that leads home when the work-day is over. In the name of the Christ! Amen.
W. A. WOOD.
May 8
_Then sing, ye birds, sing, sing a joyous song!
And let the young lambs bound As to the tabor"s sound!
We in thought will join your throng, Ye that pipe and ye that play, Ye that through your hearts today Feel the gladness of the May!_
WILLIAM WORDSWORTH.
G.o.d of the morning, Father of the Soul, we bless Thee for the light, for it is pleasant to behold the world made beautiful by the King of day, and sweet with the melody of the song of bird, and cheerful with the promise of hope in the swelling buds of spring. We join with Thy faithful ones in ascriptions of praise to Thee for the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of G.o.d. Help us to look upon our every faculty of soul, and power of body, as gifts from Thee, to be used for the advancement of love, truth and beauty, in our own hearts, and in the world. Give us Thine own help to bear every burden cheerfully, to stand erect before every responsibility, and if in our efforts to do much good for this day we seem to fail, may we look to Jesus and learn of Him that in a conscience void of offence there is no such thing as failure. Help us to strive with the evil of the world and sin not, that at the close of the day we may look back and say, we have kept ourselves unspotted from the world. Amen.
L. L. GREENE.
May 9
_Fairer grows the earth each morning To the eyes that watch aright; Every dew-drop sparkles warning Of a miracle in sight; Of some unexpected glory Waiting in the old and plain; Poet"s dream nor traveller"s story Words such wonders as remain._
WILLIAM C. GANNETT.
O Thou, who makest things seen and temporal quiver and flash with Thine own informing spirit, so illumine our pathways that the Luz where we meet our duties may become the Bethel where we meet our G.o.d. As Thou dost clothe the lily with beauty and inspire the bird with song help us to grow into the beauty of holiness, and to know the joy of Thy salvation. Whatever our past, open our eyes this day to some better thing which Thou hast always in reserve. Teach us what hinders our attainment and help us burst through the barrier. Make us so conscious of Thy indwelling spirit that we may yield to its gracious impellings toward righteousness and peace and joy. Amen.
THOMAS D. ANDERSON.
May 10
_Listen to the exhortation of the dawn!_
_Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the Varieties and realities of your existence; The bliss of growth, The glory of action, The splendor of beauty: For yesterday is but a dream, And tomorrow is only a vision, But to-day well-lived makes Every yesterday a dream of happiness, And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore to this day!_
_Such is the salutation of the dawn._
FROM THE SANSKRIT.
Dear G.o.d, in Thy loving kindness, Thou hast brought us to the opening of another day; from darkness to light, from sleep to wakefulness, from rest to labor. We thank Thee for its opening glory and its coming opportunities; but above all, for the new strength we feel within ourselves to do its work and live its life. As radiant dawn climbs to full-orbed day and glides to setting sun, may we come to this day"s close with the consciousness that we have lived a little closer to the great heart of the Eternal in every thought, word and deed, that we have woven into the texture of our lives, and gently as twilight enfolds the fruitful earth, shall "peace that pa.s.seth understanding" enfold our souls. Amen.
THOMAS B. PAYNE.
May 11
_As the insect from the rock Takes the color of its wing; As the boulder from the shock Of the ocean"s rhythmic swing Makes itself a perfect form, Learns a calmer front to raise; As the sh.e.l.l, enameled warm With the prism"s mystic rays, Praises wind and wave that make All its chambers fair and strong; As the mighty poets take Grief and pain to build their song; Even so for every soul, Whatsoe"er its lot may be-- Building, as the heavens roll, Something large and strong and free-- Things that hurt and things that mar Shape the man for perfect praise; Shock and strain and ruin are Friendlier than the smiling days._
JOHN WHITE CHADWICK.
Dear Father, as the light of this morning follows the darkness of the night, may we devoutly believe that the light of Thy love shall dispel all darkness and bring us into the morning of eternal peace. May we learn each day that our trials and sorrows are but stepping-stones in Thy divine economy, to bring us up into the clearer atmosphere of heavenly thought and life. Help us to live closer to Jesus, to understand how even He was made glorious through suffering, and ever learn to conquer in His name. Amen.
ELMER F. PEMBER.
May 12
_I live for those that love me For those that know me true, For the heaven that smiles above me, And waits my coming, too; For the cause that lacks a.s.sistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, For the good that I can do._
G. L. BANKS.
Father, we bless Thee for such as love us and those whom we love in the varying forms of affection, thanking Thee for the sacramental cup of joy in which Thou givest the wine of life to all of Thy children, humble or high. We thank thee for that love which setteth the solitary in families at the beginning, and then reaches wide arms all around, and will not stay its hold till it joins all nations and kindreds and tongues and people into one great family of love. We bless Thee for the n.o.ble men and women whose generous heart has lit the altar fire of philanthropy in many a dark and else benighted place. We thank Thee for the unbidden faith which springs up in our hearts, impelling us to trust Thee and love Thee and keep every commandment of Thine, and that while we know not what a day shall bring forth, we are sure of everlasting life. Amen.
THEODORE PARKER.