Spiritual Reading

Bayazid once said of himself: "I was a revolutionary when I was young. I always prayed to God: 'Lord, give me the force to change the world.' As I grew older, I realized that after all those years, I was not able to change a single thing. My prayers as a person were different: 'Lord, please give me the strength to change some of those with whom I am constantly in touch, even if it just be my family and friends.' Now that I am old and may days are numbered, I am beginning to realize that I have been such a fool all my life. Now I only pray for one thing: "Lord, please give me the grace to change my self.' If only I had asked this from the very beginning, I would not have waster my entire life away."

Everyone wants to change the world. But almost nobody wants to start by changing himself.

Anthony de Mello, The Bird's Song