The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 2/Chapter 20
XX
NEW YEAR'S DAY.
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Thou Infinite, Eternal, Omnipresent Being, Thou from whom, in whom, unto whom we live, move, grow and gather, Thou the Lord of our days, Thou the Witness of our ways, Thou the Guide along the course of our lives, praised, thanked, saluted, glorified be Thou of us all ever and everywhere ! The Author of 'our lives, the Ordainer of our destinies the strengthening Power, the guiding Wisdom, the protecting Providence, the fostering Mercy, the cherishing Love, the saving Grace of all, Thou art our own dear God—dear past all computation, dear as the very vitality of our lives, dear as quickening breath as feeling consciousness, as pulsing activity, as perceiviug wisdom, dear unto the rejoicing heart, dear unto the adoring spirit. Thou art so unspeakably dear unto us. Thou art the Substance, the Essence, the innermost Reality of our lives. We can conceive the possibility of our existence, we can imagine the bare idea of life itself, only as from Thee, of Thee, in Thee, unto Thee. Words are weak; thoughts are feeble; feelings are frail; all our human efforts to name, define, describe, determine Thee, disclose Thee, are utterly defective, absolutely ineffective. But our hearts feel, our own self-consciousness testifies, that Thou art the sole reality-the basis, the support, the strength, the substance, the spirit of all things. Oh dear, dear God, this inestimable privilege, boon, blessing, Thou hast vouchsafed even unto these. Thy humble children, thus to feel confident, certain, absolutely and thoroughly convinced, that Thou art the supreme Reality, the eternal Verity—the Knower, the Ordainer, the Controller, the Sustainer, the Sanctifier. Yet who can define Thee, who may dare to describe Thee, who so simple as to presume to determine Thee? Beloved One! Our yearning, longing hearts would flow forth toward Thee, though in these poor, frail words. Ours is a keen delight, an intense joy, a transporting ecstasy, as we feel how true, good, merciful, charming and enrapturing Thou art. Thou our own dear God! Thou art seated in our hearts, enshrined in our souls, enthroned in our homes, exalted over and above and beyond all conceivable power and majesty. We are sure that in this magnification, this exaltation, this glorification of our Beloved lies the truth, the strength, the pleasure, the very salvation of our lives. On this happy, holy day, a day rich with the remembrances of the past and the hopes of the future, on this truly auspicious day, we draw close to Thee, we embrace Thee, as our dear God. Our joys are all refined, sweetened, enriched by being thus gifted from Thee, by being thus consecrated unto Thee.
Beloved One! Amidst distractions, despite diversions, notwithstanding cares and anxieties, how often and in how many forms Thou hast visited us this day—the first gleam revealing Thy presence, the first whisper singing Thy praise, the first thought spontaneously springing to Thy throne, the first desire involuntarily reaching out for Thy embrace Beloved One, the end eared One of our hearts, the adored One of our souls! We feel that, having Thee, we have all, we lack nothing and we need want nothing. We have Thee as our own, in all Thy inexhaustible life and love. From Eternity to Eternity we are conceived in Thy Spirit, cradled in Thy Love, nourished in Thy Mercy, transfigured in Thy grace, embosomed in Thy Holiness. Oh Thou intimate, individual Friend, Guide, Protector, Parent! Wherever we turn, whatever we think of, whatsoever we engage in, whomsoever we lean on, we behold Thee. All, all objects are indwelt, inspirited by Thee. But for Thee, void of Thee, abstracted from Thee, what were we all, what were this solid world, what were those radiant orbs, what were this bracing atmosphere? Mere shows, fleeting shadows unsubstantial dreams, vanishing mists! Thou dwellest in us, filling us, permeating us, shaping us. It is Thou that grantest reality, permanency, purpose, aim, destiny, value and worth unto each one of us and unto all objects. Oh Thou Immanent One Thou the solemn, supreme, awe-inspiring, all-attracting, all-engaging, all-embracing all-absorbing One, we bow down before Thee, we thank Thee, praise Thee and adore Thee. We throb and quiver with joy as we find our bliss, our beatitude, in Thee. Blessed, blessed, blessed be Thou! With what unstinted bounty, with what ceaseless benevolence, Thou dost pour Thy blessings upon us! Every breath, every pulse, every beat of the heart is Thy gift. Every second, every tick of the clock, reckons and records Thy kindness, Thy mercy. Beloved! How can we estimate the Invaluable, how can we assess the priceless? How abundant, incomparably valuable, are Thy gifts and blessings! With grateful hearts we render thanks unto Thee for all the gifts of mercy, all the largesses of love, all the boons of wisdom, all the blessings of grace vouchsafed in the year that has passed. Humbly, gratefully reverently, worshipfully we render our thanks unto Thee, we place our living hearts at Thy sacred feet, and we dedicate our adoring souls to Thy Holy Spirit!
Om! Santhih!