“As I sat quietly in the garden, I realized the power of transfiguration—of God’s transformation—in our world. The principle of transfiguration is at work when something so unlikely as the brown grass that covers our veld in winter becomes bright green again. Or when the tree with gnarled leafless branches bursts forth with the sap flowing so that the birds sit chirping in the leafy branches. Or when the once dry streams gurgle with swift-flowing water. When winter gives way to spring and nature seems to experience its own resurrection.” ~Desmond Tutu
The prayers below express the human longing to be open to the truths of a new season. On Saturday, March 20, 2021 we move from winter to spring. Read slowly and attentively. Pause between sections. Notice which words, phrases, or sections speak to you most.
O Antiphons for Spring
Midwife of Spring,
Come! Come encourage what needs to be born in us.
Draw us out of winter’s nurturing womb.
Teach us to believe in our unopened buds.
Accompany us into a world starved for new life.
O Come!
O Seed Buried in the Soil,
Come! Come die to your seed-like condition.
Break through the darkness that has cradled your life.
Pierce the hard husk of all that we cling to.
Urge us to listen to the quiet sound of growing.
O Come!
O Hidden Life Now Unveiled,
Come! Come, welcome guests.
Set free our reluctance to live fully and deeply.
Awaken us to the beauty that holds and enfolds us.
Open our eyes to all we can become.
O Come!
O Spring Rising Out of Winter’s Arms,
Come! Come melt what is frozen in us.
Open the buds of our longing with your gentle breezes.
Soften the hard earth of our hearts with your rains.
Breathe warmth upon the cold places in us.
O Come!
O Green Mantle of Creation,
Come! Come clothe us with the colors of spring.
Paint our fields and forests with your artist’s brush.
Leap into our lives with a lover’s enthusiasm.
Fill us with boundless energy and faithful hearts.
O Come!
O Child of Resurrection,
Come! Come dancing out of winter’s gloom.
Enliven us with your radiant hope.
Lure us through the closed doors of our doubt.
Celebrate with us the wonder of risen life.
O Come!
O Laughter of the Earth,
Come! Come laugh us out of our rigidity.
Lighten hearts grown weary with anxiety.
Send us out to the meadows to play like a child.
Rise up in our souls with lighthearted joy.
O Come!
O Awakening Dawn,
Come! Come like the day star rising out of the east.
Come bearing the sparkling rays of your sunbeams.
Come carrying baskets of flowers and green-laced leaves.
Call forth blossoms sleeping in the garden of our lives.
O Come!
~Joyce Rupp & Macrina Wiederkehr
Reflection:
Reread the poem. Which words, phrases or section speaks to you? If you feel comfortable, share it in the comments section.
Notice the signs of “ripening” in the world, in nature and in you personally?
Receive the Gaelic blessing of “deep peace”.
Song: Deep Peace a Gaelic Blessing Libera (John Rutter)
Sources:
Tutu, D. (2004) “Chapter 1: God Believes in Us”, God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time. New York, NY: Doubleday Publishing
Rupp, J. & Wiederkehr, M. (2005). The circle of life: The heart's journey through the seasons. Notre Dame, IN: Sorin Books, pp. 80-81.
Commenti