Season’s Greetings To You All

The Short and The Long

Here’s a fascinating ‘prayer’ on this shortest day of the year. Attributed to the Revd. Tess Ward (an ordained Anglican priest, retreat leader and spiritual director) and found in her book entitled “The Celtic Wheel of the Year”, it challenges us to think deeply about priorities to be cultivated and problem areas to be eliminated (or certainly curtailed).

It’s included in the Celtic Daily Prayer – Book II – ‘Farther Up and Farther In’ which is used by the Northumbria Community. I’m sure it will resonate with many of my readers.

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A Midwinter Prayer 

From the rising of the midwinter sun to its setting,

Scatter the darkness with the light of your love, O Shining One.

Make me short on mean thoughts, long on offering words of comfort.

Make me short on being driven, long on paying attention.

Make me short on focusing only on my own, long on looking beyond.

Make me short on obsessive lists, long on spontaneous acts of kindness,

Make me short on mindless activity, long on time to reflect.

Make me short on tradition as habit, long on re-discovery and re-owning.

Make me short on rushing and tiring, long on walking and wondering.

Make me short on false festive jollity, long on stilling and rooted joy.

Make me short on guilt, long on being merciful to myself.

Make me short on being overwhelmed, long on peaceableness as I set forth this day.

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A photo from North Wales – taken in January 2019