PSALM 1
Blessed are the man and the woman
who have grown beyond their greed
and have put an end to their hatred
and no longer nourish illusions.
But they delight in the way things are
and keep their hearts open, day and night.
They are like trees planted near flowing rivers,
which bear fruit when they are ready.
Their leaves will not fall or wither.
Everything they do will succeed.
PSALM 19
The heavens declare God’s grandeur
and the radiance from which they arise.
Each dawn tells of his beauty;
each night shines with his grace.
Their testimony speaks to the whole world
and reaches to the ends of the earth.
In them is a path for the sun,
who steps forth handsome as a bridegroom
and rejoices like an athlete as he runs.
He starts at one end of the heavens
and circles to the other end,
and nothing can hide from his heat.
God’s universe is perfect,
awing the mind.
God’s truth is subtle,
baffling the intellect.
God’s law is complete,
quickening the breath.
God’s compassion is fathomless,
refreshing the soul.
God’s justice is absolute,
lighting up the eyes.
God’s love is radiant,
rejoicing the heart,
more precious than the finest gold,
sweeter than honey from the comb.
Help me to be aware of my selfishness,
but without undue shame or self-judgment.
Let me always feel you present,
in every atom of my life.
Let me keep surrendering my self
until I am utterly transparent.
Let my words be rooted in honesty
and my thoughts be lost in your light,
Unnamable God, my essence,
my origin, my life-blood, my home.
PSALM 104
Unnamable God, you are fathomless;
I praise you with endless awe.
You are wrapped in light like a cloak;
you stretch out the sky like a curtain.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you walk on the wings of the wind.
You use the winds as your messengers,
thunder and lightning as your servants.
You look at the earth—it trembles;
you touch the hills and they smoke.
You laid the earth’s foundations
so that they would never be destroyed.
You covered the land with ocean;
the waters rose over the mountains.
They fled at the sound of your voice;
you thundered and they ran away.
They rushed down into the valleys,
to the place you appointed for them.
You bounded them, so that they would never
return to inundate the earth.
You send streams into the valleys,
and they flow out among the hills.
All the animals drink from them;
the wild asses quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the sky dwell,
singing among the branches.
You water the hills from the sky;
by your care the whole earth is nourished.
You make grass grow for the cattle
and grains for the service of mankind,
to bring forth food from the earth
and bread that strengthens the body,
oil that makes the face shine
and wine that gladdens the heart.
You plant the trees that grow tall,
pines, and cedars of Lebanon,
where many birds build their nests,
and the stork on the topmost branches.
The mountains shelter the wild goats;
the cliffs are a shelter for the rock squirrels.
You created the moon to count months;
the sun knows when it must set.
You make darkness, it is night,
the forest animals emerge.
The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
The sun rises, they withdraw,
and lie down together in their dens.
Humans go out to their labor
and work until it is evening.
How manifold are your creatures, Lord!
With wisdom you made them all;
the whole earth is filled with your riches.
Here is the sea in its vastness,
where innumerable creatures live,
fish both tiny and huge.
Here sharks swim, and the whale
that you created to play with.
All these depend on you
to give them food in due time.
You open your hands—they gather it;
you give it—they are filled with gladness.
You hide your face—they are stricken;
you take back their breath—they die
and return their bodies to the dust.
You send forth your breath—they are born,
and with them you replenish the earth.
Your grandeur will last forever;
eternally you rejoice in your works.
I will sing to you every moment;
I will praise you with every breath.
May all selfishness disappear from me,
and may you always shine from my heart.
PSALM 131
My mind is not noisy with desires, Lord,
and my heart has satisfied its longing.
I do not care about religion
or anything that is not you.
I have soothed and quieted my soul,
like a child at its mother’s breast.
My soul is as peaceful as a child
sleeping in its mother’s arms.