All Is Beautiful Before Me

About this article

This is a full prayer service that was prepared by the Racism Committee of the Sisters of Mercy as a way of commemorating the five hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in America. The prayer pairs themes of Native American spirituality with Christian traditions. This is a beautiful prayer, suitable for students and adults.

The following prayer service, sent to us by Cheryl Erb, RSM, author of our feature article in this issue, was prepared by the Racism Committee of the Sisters of Mercy of Cincinnati as a way of commemorating the quincentenary.

For the prayer environment, use an arrangement of Native American symbols: earth-tone cloths or Native American weavings, a smudge stick (a bunch of dried herbs tied together with string), pottery, candles. Also, a censer and incense from the Catholic Tradition should be on the floor next to the arrangement.

Introduction

Leader 1 reads: With our prayer service today, we commemorate the five hundredth anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas. Today we focus on the spiritual heritage that the Europeans brought to what they believed to be the New World, and the equally rich spirituality that was embodied in the people who already walked this land.

Incensing and Smudging

Leaders 2 and 3 approach the arrangement. Leader 2 reads: The use of incense is familiar in the prayer of the Catholic Tradition both as a purification for something or someone and as a prayer offering to God. Let our prayer rise like incense before you, O God.

Leader 2 takes the censer, prepares the incense, and proceeds to incense the assembly, bows and incenses to the right, center, and left, bows again, and replaces the censer at the foot of the arrangement.

Leader 3 reads: In the Native American tradition the smudge stick or smudge pot is an important part of prayer and ritual. Smudging is a process of cleansing the energy field through the use of smoke from burning herbs. The herbs most often used are sage, which gets rid of negative energy, and sweet grass, which draws positive energy.

Leader 3 lights the smudge stick and waits until the fire is out and the smudge stick is smoking. Then leader 3 smudges the six directions. North, West, South, East, above, and below. This is done by waving the smudge stick in each direction to disperse the smoke.
Stories of Creation

Leader 2 reads: This reading is a story of Creation from the Judeo-Christian tradition, in the Book of Genesis. Read Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-23.

Leader 3 reads: This reading is an origin story, a folk myth from the Blackfoot Native Americans. Read the story called "'Old Man the Creator" from In the Beginning, by Virginia Hamilton (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) pp. 25-27. Other creation stories from the Native American tradition can be found in public library collections.

Song and Chant of Response

Leader 2 reads: Let us respond to the stories of our beginning by joining in a song from the Christian Celtic tradition. Everyone joins in singing "Christ Be Beside Me," available in many Catholic hymnals and missalettes.

Leader 3 reads: And now let us join in praying the Navaho chant "All Is Beautiful Before Me." Everyone joins in the chant below.

All is beautiful before me,

All is beautiful behind me,

All is beautiful below me,

All is beautiful above me,

All is beautiful all around me.

This covers it all,

The skies and the Most High