Here we are, rounding the corner
to the second half of 2025. I invite you
to slow down, breathe with me this week.
Take a moment to reflect on what has happened so far this year ~ the
good, the bad, and the ugly ~ the heartbreaking and heartwarming ~ the soul
soaring and soul aching ~ the “this-ness” of the art project called your
life. What colors are on the canvas of
your life so far this year? What
experiences and encounters?
I can be tempted to interrogate
my life with such intensity, shine a bright spotlight on my shy soul, demanding
answers to the above questions instantly and immediately. I want the truth, I declare. And to quote Jack Nichols from A Few Good
Men, my heart says, “You can’t handle the truth!” Rather than thinking that I can totally fix
my life today with this morning meditation, duct tape, and chewing gum, I want
to offer you a prayer practice using the prayer of St. Patrick. This takes the familiar words of the prayer
and interrupts them with breath ~ with a pause to ponder, letting what you are
saying be embodied, find residence in you.
I encourage you to say the words aloud with me.
Christ with me – breathe in
Christ with you
Christ before me – breathe out,
noticing Christ in front of you
Christ behind me breathe in
aware of Christ supporting you
Christ in me– breathe out touch
Christ dwelling in you
Christ beneath me ~ breathe in Christ as your ground of being
Christ above me– breathe out
Christ as the One who hovers in the air around you
Christ on my right ~ breathe in,
holding your right hand as if you are receiving a gift
Christ on my left– breathe out,
holding your left hand as if you are receiving a gift
Christ when I lie down ~ breathe
in deeply and slowly, finding rest in Christ
Christ when I sit down– breathe
out, noticing the chair that supports your backside
Christ when I arise ~ breathe in
gently, raising your arms toward the sky
Christ in everyone I meet– breathe
out, reaching your arms to the unfolding day before you.
May this prayer practice be a
way to greet and live every day for the rest of this year.
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