There exists one prayer that is recited by people of all faiths in this Nation and around the world. It is a source of peace and comfort for many who use it as a daily petition. The original unabridged version embodies a complete formula for living.

   The foundations of the prayer are: To live one day at a time. Enjoy one moment at time. Surrender to God’s will, and have faith and trust in him. The petitions of the prayer are: To be granted serenity, courage, and wisdom. To accept what cannot be changed, to have the courage to change what can be changed and to have the wisdom to know what can and cannot be changed. The outcome as expressed in the prayer is to be reasonably happy in this life and to be supremely happy with God Forever.

The abridged version has become known as "The Serenity Prayer" and is a prayer of petition. It became more widely known after being brought to the attention of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1941 by an early member. The complete prayer was untitled and was written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr for use in a sermon. The formula for living is revealed by reading and reflecting on the entire prayer.

Here is the prayer in two parts

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can change, and wisdom to know the difference."

The complete version include the additional lines:

"Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen

May this prayer continue to be a driving force in the lives of people of all faiths

God Bless

Tuchy Palmieri

 5/5/11