O God, we thank Thee for this universe,
our great home; for its vastness and its riches,
and for the manifoldness of the life which teems
upon it and of which we are part.
We praise Thee for the arching sky and the blessed
winds, for the driving clouds and the constellations
on high.
We praise Thee for the salt sea and the running water,
for the everlasting hills, for the trees, and for the
grass under our feet.
We thank Thee for our senses by which we can see the
splendor of the morning, and hear the jubilant
songs of love, and smell the breath of the
springtime.
Grant us, we pray Thee, a heart wide open to all
this joy and beauty, and save our souls from being
so steeped in care or so darkened by passion
that we pass heedless and unseeing when even the
thorn-bush by the wayside is aflame with the glory of God.
