From Kalil Gibran's "The Prophet" - A Few Words on Death

"Then Almitra spoke, saying, We would ask now of Death.
And he said:
You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."

Thank you to my dear friend Jim for loaning this book to me months ago, with the bookmark at this particular page, as it sat on my bookshelf. And to my dear friend Alicia, who reminded me of this book just this morning.

The Great Mystery and our Gifts: A Prayer for Saying Grace Before Breaking Bread

My dear family and friends here this evening, let us pause to say Grace and wonder at our countless blessings.

All of us here at this table, indeed, all 6.something billion of us inhabitants of our wondrous planet earth, are participants in the Great Mystery.

This Great Mystery leads us to the three essential gifts we have been given by our Creator, our Sustainer, our Redeemer.

The first essential gift is that of consciousness. This gift enables us to listen; to be aware; to wonder; to ponder the sacred and sovereign and profound questions. May we use our consciousness to listen carefully to the will of our Creator. May we wisely discern, respect, and fulfill the will of our Creator.

The second essential gift is that of love. This gift enables us to express love towards our fellow human beings and receive love from our fellow human beings. Despite the deep and ubiquitous sorrow, may we recognize and relish each opportunity to express love. May we warmly receive love and let it strengthen and nourish us. May we embrace and channel the love that exists as the constant presence of our Sustainer.

The third essential gift is that of mercy. This gift enables us to experience the world through the eyes of others. This gift teaches us to invest completely in the present process and divest completely from the future result. May we strive to serve one another with humility and leave a legacy of mercy and forgiveness, as our Redeemer has done for us.

Amen.