Interfaith National Prayer Day Observed at UN (d) Selected Readings + America the Beautiful ( Four Stanzas)

Filed under Prayer or silence day - event | Significant events & meetings

National Prayer Day Observed at UN – July 24, 1975

See below for details of:

Part (D) Selected Readings + America the Beautiful ( Four Stanzas)

  • Introduction –  Poetry – search for ways of manifesting inner spiritual vision

The growth of America, as the experience of a country, has many parallels to the growth of an individual soul. First, there was the experience of going into the wilderness, of stepping out of the known and voyaging into the unknown; then, the exhilaration of creating a totally new state, a new awareness of man’s place in the universe. After the exhilaration of independence came the crushing struggle of civil war. Rather than flying into many parts and many factions, the unity held firm.

Finally, in both American poetry and politics, there is a continuing theme of the search for concrete ways of manifesting America’s inner spiritual vision.

In our selected readings, we have discovered that in each of the different stages of American growth, there have been men and women who have realized that prayer is an effective means of gaining the awareness that there is a larger and more sublime power which manifests itself in and through all of our actions.

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  • “My Prayer” –  Sri Chinmoy

My prayer can smile only twice: once when I silence my outer senses, once when I open the portal of my soul.

My prayer lies in loving God for His own sake. My prayer is the destroyer of errors, born and unborn.

Prayer is best expressed in my day-to-day life when it has become a spontaneous, self-giving surrender to the Will of God.

Seeking is the plane fare in the realm of spirituality. Striving is the ticket. When seeking and striving have played their respective roles, “surrendering” leads me to my seat in the plane.

Eldorado can no longer hide from me when my genuine prayer enables me to see my soul in life and my life in the soul.

Audible prayer is often a self-satisfying solemnity. Silent prayer in lone self-poise is the fulfillment of Eternity.

Prayer is struggle when I want to be an all knowing mind. Prayer is nectar when I want to be an all-dedicating life.

They say that prayer is the daughter of suffering. But I say that prayer is the mother of delight.

– Sri Chinmoy

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  • Sermon on Board Arbella; by John Winthrop, later became first governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony

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  • Benjamin Franklin. During Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia: “Here is my creed…”

 

 

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  • George Washington; U.S. President, From letter to the Governors, June 1783 “my earnest prayer”…

 

 

 

 

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  • Section of “Declaration of Independence “.. “We hold these truths to self-evident…”

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  • Abraham Lincoln; U.S. President, Aug 1861, “Proclamation of a National Fast Day (humility, prayer and fasting).”

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  • Carl Sandburg: “the Faith of Abraham Lincoln”

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  • Walt Whitman: “Darest Thou Now O Soul”

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  • Emma Lazarus; the New Colossus, inscription on Statue of Liberty

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Robert Frost: “The Gift Outright”

 

 

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  • Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: Lincoln Memorial, 1963; “Let Freedom Ring”

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  • John F. Kennedy; U.S. President, Inaugural Address,

 

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  • Gerald Ford, ; U.S. President, parts of Proclamation of National Day of Prayer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Closing

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America the Beautiful ( Four Stanzas)

 

See also:

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PDF of booklet of day in 4 parts:

A  –  day-pray-at-un-1975-jul-p-01-18-intro

B  –  day-pray-at-un-1975-jul-p-19-54-pray-clergy

C  –  day-pray-at-un-1975-jul-p-55-70-prayer-sent

D  –  day-pray-at-un-1975-jul-p-71-98-readings

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