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Blessing by John O'Donahue

Thanks to Andrew Jones for getting the go-ahead to blog this, which is from his Anam Cara book.
He has a book of blessings coming out soon, which will doubtless be equally wonderful.

Beannacht ("Blessing")

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.

And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

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A Form of Contemplative Prayer

Using Anglican Prayer Beads

Based on 1 Samuel 3

 

The Cross

The Lord’s Prayer

 

The Invitatory

"He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes."- 1 Samuel 3:18

 

The Cruciform’s

"Speak, your servant is listening."- 1 Samuel 3:10

 

The Weeks

"You called me, and here I am." -1 Samuel 3:4

From New Psalms

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Lent Prayers

Lent is the traditional time when we remember Christ’s temptations in the desert.

It’s a time when Christ considered what form his ministry was going to take.
It can also be a time for us to consider what form our Christian witness might take too.

The first temptation was to turn stones into bread.
The people were hungry – what better way to win them over than to meet their physical needs? Jesus’ rejection of this temptation is a rejection of the idea that true love can be bought. Giving people bread might make them follow him, but for what reasons?

The second temptation was to jump from the Temple.
We live in a society in love with spectacle. People can be won over with tricks and fantastica. Jesus’ rejection of this temptation is a rejection of the idea of celebrity. Doing tricks might amaze people, but was that love?

The third temptation was to give up.
We live in a world where persistence and tenacity are rare qualities, especially in the face of peer opposition. Marcuse outlines how pressures from our peers, from our own insecurities, and from the dominant power structures draw us towards ‘one dimensionality’: truth by big brother vote. Jesus’ refusal to bow down and just ‘take the money’ is a rejection of the easy way out. It might make for an easy life, but was that what life was about?

These Lenten prayers could be used as a daily rhythm over these 40 or so days.

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Technorati Tags: Desert, Lent, Temptations