A Non-Traditional Blessing

Sister Ruth Fox was invited to offer a prayer at the Graduation Breakfast for the senior class of Dickinson State College (now Dickinson State University) in the 1980s. Not finding a prayer to her liking, she set pen to paper and penned this non-traditional blessing, which was delivered to a diverse gathering of students some 40 years ago. As Sister Ruth said, the prayer was given to her by the Holy Spirit. Even 40 years later, and especially during the turbulent times we are currently living through, Sister Ruth's blessing (often referred to as "A Franciscan Blessing" or "Four-Fold Benedictine Blessing") is a gift to us all.
Sister Ruth Fox, OSB, of Sacred Heart Monastery in Richardton, ND made her transition back to The Divine in the Fall of 2023.

Transcript

A non-traditional blessing by the late Sister Ruth Fox,

Order of Saint Benedict.

May God bless you with discontent with easy answers,

Half-truths,

Superficial relationships,

So that you will live from deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice,

Oppression,

Abuse,

And exploitation of people,

So that you will work for justice,

Equality,

And peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain,

Rejection,

Starvation,

And war,

So that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and to change their pain to joy.

May God bless you with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference in this world,

So that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.

These blessings are yours,

Not for the asking,

But for the giving.

Reviews

Thank you for blessing me with this nontraditional prayer