Scripture ~ God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. 2nd Corinthians 9:8 The Message
Spiritual Focus ~ “When I started counting my blessings my whole life turned around.” Willie Nelson
Devotion ~ A favorite story Fr. Richard Rohr tells is about how he understands blessings. He lives in New Mexico and often leads mass in his home town and at the
Mexican/American border. His population is heavily Hispanic. One of things that he finds challenging is when people come up and ask him to bless their rosary’s. He looks at them as says, “you know they are already blessed by God, right?” They look right back at him and say, “yes father, will you bless the rosary?” Perhaps the folks have been raised to view a Franciscan priest as closer to God, with special blessing power. Maybe they are just accustomed to the spiritual practice of asking for a blessing prayer. Either way, asking for, or giving a blessing is a practice that acknowledges the gift of God’s favor. Blessings are found throughout scripture. Modern day attention to blessings are less common but the act of giving or receiving a blessing is still an opportunity to pause, to re-evaluate are life. A blessing that causes us to pause often refreshes our spiritual journey, drawing us closer to God and each other.
There are many blessing opportunities and many blessings written or spoken. We begin this new year, new decade with a blessing prayer from the Methodist Covenant Prayer book. One spiritual practice is to begin and finish your day by finding a comfortable seat and breathing in this blessing prayer. May this prayer be a blessing to all who practice it in this new year of 2020.
I open my life to be directed by Eternal, Cosmic Life,
and not just my own self-interest.
May evolving purpose shape what I should do
and with whom I should do it;
May eternal wisdom guide when I should be active
and when I should rest;
May evolutionary life sustain me when I am well
in body, mind, or heart
and when I am unwell;
May gentle humility and strong confidence
Be reflected in me when I am praised
and when I am criticized:
May overflowing gratitude be expressed in me
when I enjoy abundance,
and when I know what it is to go without;
May my whole life be biased toward compassion
and equality
And may all that I have and all that I am
serve beauty, truth and goodness;
And may I always remember that I am connected to all things and all things are connected to me;
This is the commitment by which I seek to live.
So may it be.
