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It is the season of Advent, a time of soul preparation. The term Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming." At Christmas we celebrate the coming of a new life who brought a higher vibration of Light and Love into the world. The world was changed forever, but that was just the beginning. The baby whose birth we honor at Christmas grew up to proclaim for us: “You are the Light of the world.” And he went on to tell us not to put our light under a basket, but like a city on a hill, we are to shine our light brightly so that others may see the Good that we do.  Each year at this time, Christian faiths light candles representing Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. But they are just flickering candles if we are not doing anything to bring Hope, Peace, Love and Joy to the world. As we look at the current state of our world – particularly as we bear witness to the egregious suffering inflicted upon our animal brothers and sisters by our human brothers and sisters - we know that there is still so much darkness desperately seeking Light. It seems almost hopeless until we remember that we are that Light. When we demonstrate Kindness and Respect toward ALL beings, choosing Compassion over killing, our Light shines brightly, high on a hilltop.  A new world and a new awareness is coming. We are creating it by our vision and compassionate action. We are creating it through our purposeful commitment to awaken the world to a more loving way of being that includes everyone. We are creating it by being an example of non-violent living in the world. Our numbers are growing. Our message is growing. Consciousness is shifting. The slumbering giant of normalized animal exploitation is beginning to wake up. Together we are actively bringing Hope, Peace, Love and Joy not just to humans, and not just to animals. But to ALL beings.  As we walk mindfully this holiday season, I offer this Advent prayer to lift up our vision for a new, kinder world: HOPE: Our Hope is for ALL of humanity to awaken to the Truth of their Spirit, which is authentic Kindness and Compassion, and see each other and animals as sentient individuals deserving of moral consideration. Our Hope is for ALL beings to be free; free from harm; free from oppression, experimentation, exploitation, mutilation and all other forms of violence; free to move and express themselves naturally and authentically; free to live full lives. We know that Spirit is active and alive now, awakening Hope for a new world within all beings.  Hope by Iskander 1989 PEACE: We pray that ALL humans find inner Peace, and make peaceful, non-violent choices, aligned with the Truth of their Spirit, and in Divine partnership with all Creation. We hold the intention for ALL humans to experience healing through forgiveness of self and others, so that they may fully know the blessings of Peace and create a peaceful world that cares for ALL. We know that the Peace of Spirit is active and alive within us now. May ALL beings be free from harm and truly have Peace.  LOVE: We pray that ALL humans awaken to the power of Love within them, that they learn to love themselves fully, and generously extend that Love to ALL beings. We hold the intention for ALL humans to awaken and dissolve the veil of separation, so that they may fully know the bliss of Universal Love and Oneness. We know that the Love of Spirit is active and alive within us now. May all beings know the warm Presence of Divine Love within, and feel Kindness, Compassion, Respect and Devotion from others.  JOY: We pray that ALL humans be activated by inner Joy and moved to live in delight, deep cheerfulness and gladness of heart, so that they are free of self-restriction, withholding and domination of others. We hold the intention that our animal brothers and sisters teach humanity the art of contentment and play, which they so naturally exude when free. We know that the Joy of Spirit is active and alive within us now. May all beings know the Divine wellspring that dwells within, and be free to express themselves fully as Joy.  Joined together, we are the Light, co-creating by our thoughts, words and actions, a world of Hope, Peace, Love and Joy for ALL beings. We are grateful in advance for its manifestation. Have Faith! A new Light has come into the world. A new world is coming! We are making it so. Namaste.  His Peaceable Kingdom by Nancy Conent “Those of us who have the light should display the light and offer it so that the world will not sink into total darkness.” Thich Nhat Hanh © carol saunders 2017
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Mother-Father of Creation I am filled with gratefulness As I awaken to the wonder of all that is Animated into being by your breath Sustained by your will Nurtured by your heart The glory and majesty Of all that I see before me Is revealed The vibration of Life is in everything The stone The water The tree and its leaves Every blade of grass Every ant and caterpillar In the song of the birds And the silence of dusk The living world breaks into a chorus! I feel blessed to be in its midst And intricately connected To all that is Life's vibration beats in me too Animated into being by Divine breath Sustained by Divine will Nurtured by Divine heart Yet pain lies hidden In the shadows Wanting to be seen I pause…and hear Beneath the vibrant sounds of life The tormented cries of those We mistakenly believe to be ours The four-legged The water born The winged ones My heart breaks Each is breathed into being by the One As are we They are one with the One As are we And we are one with them Human friends, I implore you! Be bold Peer deeply into the eyes of these Sisters and brothers of ours Dare to feel the desires of their hearts Listen and you will hear Their yearning to be free Free to move and turn about at will Free of mutilation And the smell of death Free of prodding, genetic manipulation And forced insemination Free from cages, pens And crowded transport trucks Free to play in the mud Breathe fresh air Feel wind on their faces And the heat of the sun Free to be with chosen companions And live a long life Are they not like us? As we come to the table tonight Let us remember the hearts Of our animal friends When we choose what we shall Eat and drink And wear on our bodies And let us remember That they were created for Creation Itself Not for us The Life force dwells within all beings The sound of freedom rings Kindness and Compassion urges us To live as One And so it is  In the throes of my work to bring Wolf and the Lamb alive, this prayer came to me as a gift from Spirit. It encapsulates the joys and challenges of this work and is a wonderful way to start each day. I make myself an instrument of Peace. Where there is hatred, I sow love; Wherever there is injury, I refrain from injuring; Where there is doubt, l have faith in my own convictions and ability to move mountains; Where there is despair, l give hope; Where there is ignorance, I bring illumination; Where there is darkness, I bear light; Where there is entrenchment, I inspire with a new vision; Where there is sadness, I allow myself to feel from the depth of my soul and stay focused on what is good and right and possible in the world. Knowing the Divine Truth that we are all One, I bless ALL of Life – all living beings, Not just those I consider to be like me. I commit myself to living as Loving-Kindness and Compassion. No beings tremble before me, For I AM Love, Peace and Freedom. And so it is. © carol saunders 2016  |
AuthorRev. Carol Saunders I am an ordained Unity and Interfaith minister, speaker, writer and lover of all life. In 2010 I founded a spiritual community in Deerfield, IL, a suburb of Chicago, and led it through mid-2021. In my current ministry I host a podcast called The Spiritual Forum and an annual Whole Planet Spirituality Retreat at Unity Village, Mo. Being a voice for the animals and a light for the spiritually-inclined who are willing to seriously examine the self and begin to awaken, are what Spirit has called me to be. I am here to support anyone who wants to move toward living in closer alignment with their deeply held spiritual values - i.e. sovereignty, freedom, love, peace and kindness. We have the power to change our world by changing ourselves. A first step is identifying and releasing all the cultural conditioning that normalizes cruelty and violence. Be Love. Be Peace. Be Kind. Today.
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