Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MassachusettsDepartment of Physiology
Adapted from the Prayer of Mr. Wicks, of last commencement, 1922
O Lord, most merciful and gracious, Thou great sovereign Spirit of all good, we thank Tee for the wealth of help we have drawn upon to bring us on. For the unremembered cares of parents throughout our thoughtless years; for the store of wisdom gathered through centuries of toil; for all high privilege bought by endless agony of human strife; for ever-growing vision of what ought to be, kept clear by sacrificial souls; we thank Thee, Lord.
From all self-pity, whichwould [sic] make us envious of another's place and blind opportunities at hand, good Lord, deliver us. Keep us, we beseech Thee, from the cowardice which would let us live, for comfort's sake, below the best we know.
O Thou who faintest not, sustain through the saving power of some great work to do. Let deep desire for fitness teach us that fine art of play which truly recreates for work. Give us the grace of humor which relieves the undue strain. Against all superficial haste of thought and action, arm us with the strength of quietness and the deep convictions of the meditative mind. Quicken us to hear what the centuries say against the passing, prudent judgments of the present hour.
God of the Prophets and our God, we pray that we as witnesses of truth may be the healers of division everywhere, foes implacable of war. Endue us with the gift of seeing through the false pretensions of our time to discern the roots of evil and of doom. And out of eager, contrite, burdened hearts, we pray that we may dare to bring to all our public life the elemental powers of goodness and of love which alone can save our divided family of mankind. We ask it, in the name of Christ, whose life and death brought near to us the fulness of Thy love, O God, who art over all, and through all, and in all. Amen
[Unsigned, but probably written by Abby H. Turner since it's on her stationery]