A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles [Paperback]

M J Ryan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Now in paperback, A Grateful Heart is a tool to help readers reclaim and enrich the tradition of pausing before the evening meal to give thanks. Drawing from a range of religious and cultural practices, these 365 blessings celebrate friendship, love, peace, reconciliation, the body, nature, joy, and appreciation of the moment. This illustrated feast for the mind includes quotations from Martin Luther King Jr., Thich Nhat Hanh, Gandhi, Rumi, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Denise Levertov, the Bible, and the Tao Te Ching.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In today's chaotic world, the common experience of sharing the evening meal can restore a sense of community and humanity to society. More important, the blessing of the meal fosters in us a sense of gratitude for the gifts we have been given. This collection of 365 "blessings"-ranging from the words of Augustine and Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh to the Beatles' now famous "In the end the love you take/ is equal to the love you make"-celebrates the connections between grace and gratitude. To aid readers in selecting a grace appropriate to the occasion, there is a topical index as well as divisions marked by seasons of the year. The book will have wide appeal because it traverses all spiritual traditions. For general collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

M.J. Ryan is the editorial director of Conari Press, publisher of the best-selling "Random Acts of Kindness" series. She is the author of Attitudes of Gratitude, 365 Health and Happiness Boosters, and The Giving Heart, and editor of A Grateful Heart and The Fabric of the Future. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157324855X
• ISBN-13: 978-1573248556
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirations that go beyond mealtime blessings, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles with Bookmark (Hardcover)

This diverse collection of beautiful prayers and blessings contains themes which are relevant to whatever gathering I'm a part of. I have used the blessings to begin meetings, as part of a presentation, at family mealtime and for my personal inspriation. I have bought my own copy and have given two other copies as gifts. The language of each blessing speaks very powerfully.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The aphorisms in this book are a feast for mind and table., January 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles with Bookmark (Hardcover)

This book is much like Gibrahn's "The Prophet" in that whatever passage you turn to, it is the correct one for your meal's blessing. Whether it is a contemprary figure or Buddah, the author has compiled these prayers to give maximal contemplation without imposing secular overtones to the thought. I have just given away my copy to a close friend who immediately became absorbed.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Found a perfect grace for the birthday dinner for grandson., May 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles with Bookmark (Hardcover)

The entire collection is outstanding, but as we sat down for my grandson's eleventh birthday dinner, I flipped to page 7 and found the perfect reflection on the wondrous gift of being, in itself. It blessed our celebration.