Issue nº 115

The languages that God speaks

     A Spanish missionary was visiting an island when he came across three Aztec priests.
     “How do you pray?” asked the priest.
     “We have only one prayer, “ answered one of the Aztecs. “We say: “God, You are three, we are three. Have mercy on us.”
     “Beautiful prayer,” said the missionary. “But it is not exactly the prayer that God hears. I shall teach you a much better one.”
     The priest taught them a Catholic prayer and went on his way to spread the Gospel among others. Years later, on the ship taking him back to Spain, he stopped at that island once more. From the deck he saw the three holy men on the beach – and waved farewell to them.
      At that moment the three began to walk on the water towards him.
     “Father! Father!” shouted one of them, approaching the ship. “Teach us again the prayer that God hears, because we can’t remember it!”
     “It doesn’t matter,” said the missionary, seeing the miracle. And he asked God to forgive him for not understanding before that He spoke all languages.

Below are some of those prayers:
     Dhammapada (attributed to Buddha)
     Instead of a thousand words,
     Better just one,
     One that brings peace.
     Instead of a thousand verses,
     Better just one,
     One that shows beauty.
     Instead of a thousand songs,
     Better just one,
     One that spreads joy.

Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, 13th century
     Out there, besides what is right and what is wrong, there is an enormous field.
     That is where we will meet.

Prophet Mohammed, 7th century
     Oh Allah! I come to you because you know all, even what is hidden.
      If what I am doing is good for me and my religion, for my life now and later, then let the task be easy and blessed.
      If what I am doing now is bad for me and my religion, for my life now and later, then keep me far from this task.

Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 7;7-8
     Ask, and it shall be given you;
      seek and you shall find;
      knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
     For every one that asks receives;
     and he that seeks finds:
     And to him that knocks,
     it shall be opened.

Jewish prayer for peace
      We shall go the mountain of the Lord, where we shall walk with Him. We shall change our swords into plows and our spears into baskets for harvesting fruit.
      Let no nation raise its sword against another, and let us never learn the art of war.
      And no-one should fear his neighbor, because thus spoke the Lord.

Lao Tsu, China – 6th century B.C.
     For there to be peace in the world, the nations must live in peace.
     For there to be peace among nations, cities must not rise up against one another.
     For there to be peace in the cities, neighbors must get on well with one another.
     For there to be peace among neighbors, harmony must reign in the home.
     For there to be harmony at home, it must be found in your own heart.