WelCom December 2021
God of each breath
God of this next breath:
may this moment we’re in
be a moment now filled
with reassurance and grace:
with kindness and patience
for ourselves and for others.
May it be marked by hope
and compassion
by learning and unlearning
may it be a moment unencumbered
by mistakes we’ve made
or results we fear
may it be a moment of peace
and renewal
a breath of new life.
Amen
The above prayer, God of each Breath, is by the Corrymeela Community in Ireland.
This prayer was used when the archdiocesan Launch Out candidates presented their Pastoral Projects last month, to me and several others gathered at the Catholic Centre in Wellington in person or by Zoom. Every year, this is a particular Saturday in November that I really look forward to and this year was no exception. Launch Out is the Archdiocese’s formation programme for our Lay Pastoral Leaders.
However, it is not the Launch Out candidates or their projects I am writing about in this column for this edition of WelCom. Rather, it is the above prayer, which was actually only a small part of the Opening Prayer we all shared together.
This prayer appealed to me at this time of Covid-19 when there are all the challenges and questions about vaccinations and vaccine certificates, about how many people can attend Mass, borders open or closed, and the endless other decisions, anxieties and uncertainties the pandemic has forced upon us. This prayer also meant something to me at this time of the year when the pace of life seems to increase and almost rob me of any quiet time and when I seem to hurtle from one task to another.
I am writing this column on 27 November – the day before Advent 2021 begins. For me Advent is the loveliest of liturgical seasons, the Scriptures are powerful and give us so much material for reflection and prayer. But this year I haven’t had the time to prepare well for Advent and I don’t want to lose the opportunities these Advent days offer. I don’t want to miss the Advent ‘moment’. That is why this prayer touched me deeply. I hope it does the same for all WelCom readers. Please use this and pray with it well. Take your time and enjoy the moment God gives you.
God of each breath
God of this next breath:
may this moment we’re in
be a moment now filled
with reassurance and grace:…
Recently, I read something else I thought was valuable, and which was certainly helpful for me. It was in an article about ‘Prayer in Chaos, Commotion and Clutter’. The writer was reflecting on Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, and she quoted John’s Gospel: ‘Jesus, knowing that the Father had put all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.’ The writer went on to write that what is true for Jesus is true for us too – if we know we have come from God and are going to God, our lives are bracketed in security. What more do we need?
Our lives are bracketed in security. Therefore, this moment and the next moment, this breath and the next breath can be:
“…a moment of peace and renewal
a breath of new life.”
May this Christmas and 2022 be full of moments, which are a breath of new life for you all.