seventy-six years ago, the beautiful child in this image, Sadako, was 2 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on her city of Hiroshima during the second world war… nine years later, she developed the atomic bomb disease, leukemia… hearing the ancient Japanese story that says when you fold 1000 paper cranes your wish will be granted, Sadako was able to fold 644 cranes with her wish for healing before she died at twelve years old from atomic radiation…
inspired by her courage and strength, her friends and classmates dreamed of creating a monument to memorialize their friend and all children killed by the bomb. young people all over the land of the rising sun real-eyesed their dream a couple of years later when in 1958 a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Park. The children also made a wish. It is inscribed at the bottom of the statue and reads:
“This is our cry, This is our prayer, Peace in the world.”
today, people all over the world continue to fold paper cranes and send them to Sadako’s monument in Hiroshima…
may we all take up their cry and prayer of peace in the world… may there be peace on earth and may it begin with me and thee…
let’s close our sacred ceremony for today with the Essene Communion for Sunday dedicating ourselves to living in the unity of our interbeing…
THE DEEPENING: Spend time outside. Hold in your hands a stone and explore it intently. Know that the Earth and all that dwells therein is but a reflection of the Heavenly Father.
MORNING COMMUNION: Angel of EARTH I invoke thee; for the Lord hath created this world to be a garden, where the magic of herbs and the secrets of plants nourish and heal the bodies of men. And as I regenerate my body, I regenerate my soul, and as each morning comes, I shall embrace thee.
MEDITATION: I feel my body become one with the earth. From the richness of the soil springs the fruits that you share…… and I am the rock. My center belongs to that which was kindled long ago. Bring that consciousness back to me now.
NOON CONTEMPLATION: Peace with the EARTHLY MOTHER:
Blessed is the Child of Light who knoweth the Earthly Mother and brings peace unto her. Know that thy Mother is in thee and thou art in her, for she is the giver of life.
EVENING COMMUNION: Angel of CREATIVE WORK I invoke thee; for he who walks with the Angel of work has within him a field always fertile, where healing herbs and beautiful flowers blossom and grow. The mind that is idle is full of the weeds of discontentment, but he who has found his task shall not be in want of other blessings. And as each evening comes, I shall embrace thee.
THE BLESSING: The table in my house is full and I have much to share. I gather in the fruits of my labors. I work with the talents I have. In the labor of right livelihood, I find the greatest joys of life, and my cupboard overflows with its blessings.
To lift your eyes to heaven when all men’s eyes are on the ground, is not easy. To worship at the feet of the angels when all men worship only fame and riches, is not easy. But the most difficult of all is to think the thoughts of the angels, to speak the words of the angels, and to do as the angels do.
~Gospel of the Essenes