“Blessings” with Br. David Steindl-Rast

“Bless what there is for being.”… bless it because it exists; you need no other reason.
~ Br. David Steindl-Rast, quoting W. H. Auden

In his beloved book 99 Blessings: An Invitation to Life, Br. David Steindl-Rast writes, “Blessing, rightly understood, is the invisible bloodstream pulsating through the universe — alive and life-giving.” Each and every moment, we can cultivate deeper awareness of the blessing of simply being alive, greater appreciation for all that works and is sufficient in our lives, and wonder and awe for the miracles that are within and around us at all times. As the great Jewish sage Abraham Joshua Heschel says, “Just to live is holy, just to be is a blessing.” 

Recorded in 2019 during Br. David’s visit to the United States for the Spirituality and Social Change Symposium at UMass Amherst, “Blessings” was produced by Pear Urushima and directed by renowned documentary photographer and director Doug Menuez.  Doug writes:

Doug Menuez

“In my life I’ve been lucky enough to document some truly astonishing human beings – rare people whose deeds and words have powerfully influenced our world. So I was deeply honored to be given the opportunity and trust to direct the “Blessings” film featuring Brother David, a man whose humble teachings have helped millions to navigate the uncertainty and suffering bound up with being alive. In “Blessings,” my intent was to amplify his wise words with universal imagery.”

This short film is an invitation to drop in to what is alive and life-giving – the very fact of life is a blessing. Open your heart to the sacredness of every moment and to the great fullness of life with Br. David’s words.

Br. David Steindl-Rast. Photo: Doug Menuez

“May this patchwork quilt of blessings help to sharpen your taste for the gift of life in its innumerable facets,” Br. David writes. “May you grow ever more blessed, ever more able to bless.”

Br. David Steindl-Rast, known for his pioneering work in the interfaith dialogue movement, is co-founder of A Network for Grateful Living. He has written, contributed to, and co-authored numerous books including 99 Blessings: An Invitation to Life — the inspiration for this video. Learn more about Br. David.

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We offer very warm thanks to our generous community volunteers and international partners for translating “Blessings” into Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, Filipino, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Slovak, and Spanish (subtitles in these languages can be found by clicking on the settings icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the video).

Blessings was made possible through the generous financial support of our gratefulness community.
Offer your support for grateful living here.

Video Transcription

Bless what there is, for being. Whatever it be, bless it because it exists; you need no other reason.

Source of All Blessings,
you bless us with breath —

In and out, in and out, ever-renewing us, ever anew, making us one with all who breathe the same air.

May this blessing overflow into a shared gratefulness, so that with one breath I may praise and celebrate life.

Source of All Blessings,
you bless us with humility —

That down-to-earth quality that has nothing in common with humiliation but makes us stand tall and acknowledge both the humus that feeds us and the stars to which we aspire. 

May I learn to practice, and to honor in others, this sparkling humility which is the dignity that we, as human beings cannot afford to lose. 

Source of All Blessings,
you bless us with imprecision —

With all that is vague, close but not quite; all that leaves room for the more specific, the more precise, and room for the imagination.

May I know when to be exact and when to move freely and blessed in the space so generously provided by all that is not perfectly defined, giving full scope to my dreams and my creativity.

Source of All Blessings,
you bless us with memory —

That sacred ingathering of the past that allows us to recognize faces, learn poems by heart, find our way back when we are lost, and bring forth old and new from its nearly inexhaustible store. 

May I know what to forget and what to retain and treasure, keeping in mind the smallest kindness shown to me and spreading its ripples for a long time to come. 

Source of All Blessings,
you bless us with change —

In the seasons of the year, from snow to greening, flowering, fruiting and harvest, in the seasons of life, from childhood to youth, full ripeness, and saging. All living things keep changing. 

May I welcome change as a sacred opportunity to grow and savor in each unrepeatable moment’s fleetingness what IS beyond change.

Source of All Blessings,
you bless us with departures —

For they are a necessary part of our journey, necessary for the arriving. 

May I always be ready to take leave, always aware that every arrival is a prelude to departure, every birth a step towards dying, and may I thus taste the blessings of being fully present where I am. 

May blessings help to sharpen your taste for the gift of life in its immeasurable facets. May you grow ever more blessed, ever more able to bless.