Exploring the Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer has long been associated with Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s a prayer uniquely fitted to meeting the needs of alcoholics and addicts as we begin our recovery journey or face trials along the way. On first reading it, Wilson said, “Never had we seen so much A.A. in so few words.” (AA Comes of Age, p. 196.) In this episode Fr. Bill shares some thoughts on the prayer in both its short and longer forms.

Show Notes:

Who Wrote the Serenity Prayer, by Fred R. Shapiro, Yale Alumni Magazine, 2008

http://archives.yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/2008_07/serenity.html

“We Version” of the Original Serenity Prayer:

God, grant us the serenityto accept the things we cannot change, 

courage to change thethings we can, 

    andthe wisdom to know the difference.

           Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time;

           accepting hardship as the pathway to peace;

           taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,

not as we would have it;

           trusting that You will make all things right if we surrender to Your will;             so we may be reasonably happy in this life                   and supremely happy with You forever in the next.        Amen