Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.
Each day in the moments before community prayer I pray
this simple prayer (above). It is attributed to St. Augustine (354-430). It has
been a part of my prayer routine for a long time now. I don’t remember where I
was introduced or even how it came to my attention, however I do remember that
there was a desire in me to include more prayer specific to the Holy Spirit. As
I continue to pray this prayer each day I offer my life to the creative life of
the Holy Spirit alive in me. I am opened to rely on God more, I discover God's deep
love and mercy in my weakness and I am inspired to continue trust that God is
at work even when I’m not sure how it is all working out.
This beautiful prayer reminds us that we are called to
holiness now and forever. Holiness is a gift that is constantly in process. It
constantly calls us to evaluate and revaluate our lives and choices. Holiness
calls us to fullness, to forgiveness, to honesty, to trying again when broken
down, to rising about the muck that can consume us, to celebrating our
blessings, to giving thanks for goodness, to allowing God to love us, to
keeping focused on Christ and to continuing to allow the Holy Spirit to breathe
in and through us new life and our very life which is good and holy.
These five lines of St. Augustine’s seem to summarize my thoughts and deepest desires of my prayer life. When I ponder this prayer and
what is at my heart when I pray it, it expands a bit more…
Breathe into me, Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
And
when they are not, transform them,
And
when they are not, help me to see what they are,
And
when they are not, breathe your thoughts into me.
Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my
work, too, may be holy.
In
the small tasks that fill my day and in the big ones too,
In
the jobs I don’t like to do and the challenges that lie ahead,
In
the being a builder of the kingdom that you are lead builder on.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,
that I may love only what is holy.
My
heart is pulled in many directions, may it seek holiness,
My
heart is at times broken and hurting, I seek your healing,
My
heart is open and desires to rest in you, being nourished.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that
I may defend all that is holy.
For
times when I face trials and setbacks,
For
times when I struggle being created in your image,
For
times when I radiate you well declaring it is all about you.
Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I
may always be holy.
Each
day in my rising, in my goings, in my resting,
Each
day in the work I do and growth I discover,
Each
day in seeking to embrace my call to holiness.
I find that after praying this
prayer I can more willingly say:
God, your will
be done in my life today.
This allows me to understand my
call to holiness more and to continue
to be open to the Holy Spirit at work in my
life!
Come Holy Spirit Renew the Face
of the Earth!
Over the past few days I have been listening to a
beautiful piece of music. It is called ‘Holy Spirit’ sometimes referred to as
‘Holy Spirit You are Welcome Here’. It was written by Katie & Bryan Torwalt
and originally performed and released by Francesca Battistelli in 2014. It is a
beautiful and powerful piece of music. I encourage you to pray with it this
week, simply sit with it and let it wash over you like the stream of God’s
mercy.
I recommend the following recording.
Just use our
friend Google (or YouTube) searching for: Holy Spirit
Carrollton.
This is a beautiful version of this song.
No comments:
Post a Comment