I Cry to Thee Without Breath...

Today's passage is a prayer to the Egyptian sun god Amen. This prayer dates from the New Kingdom, and the translation is courtesy of the stupendous fanfic writer Anais (you can peruse her work here; the prayer is mentioned at the end of this story). I often find myself drawn to the rich imagery of ancient Egyptian religious belief and ritual. There is something comforting about the combination of mystical grandeur and human warmth in the stories of the Egyptian gods. (If anyone's read Eating, Drinking, and Dying, this prayer was adapted to become Catiline's prayer to Isis.)

You are Amen, lord of the silent...

When I call to you in my distress, you come to rescue me.

You give breath to me in my wretchedness

And release me from my bondage.

These Clay Feet

Inspired by Margaret's mention of the Breton Fisherman's Prayer, I'm going to post the lyrics of one of my favourite comfort songs, Loreena McKennitt's gorgeous "Dante's Prayer". There is simultaneously something very real and broken, and something wonderfully transcendent, about these words.

When the dark wood fell before me,

And all the paths were overgrown,

When the priests of pride said "There is no other way,"

I tilled the sorrows of stone.

I did not believe because I could not see,

Though you came to me in the night.

When the dawn seemed forever lost,

You showed me your love by the light of the stars.

Cast your eyes on the ocean

Cast your soul to the sea

When the dark night seems endless

Please remember me.

And then the mountain rose before me

By the deep well of desire,

From the fountain of forgiveness

Beyond the ice and the fire.

Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me.

Though we share this humble path alone,

How fragile is the heart.

O, give these clay feet wings to fly,

To touch the face of the stars.

Breath life into this feeble heart.

Lift this mortal veil of fear.

Take these crumbled hopes, hatched with tears;

We'll rise above these earthly cares.

Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me.

The Prayer Circle

Hello, and welcome to Maureen's Prayer Album.

My mother Maureen was diagnosed this summer with cancer of the liver. While the disease was discovered early and her prospects are good, she is currently very ill.

I am amazed and deeply grateful at the outpouring of concern, good wishes, and manifest love that my mother has received from her friends, co-workers, and acquaintances since her disease was first diagnosed. Many kind and generous people have offered their invaluable assistance to her and to my family during this difficult time. Many have also offered their prayers, meditations, and positive thoughts for my mother, and I know this has genuinely touched her heart. My mother feels encouraged and cared-for by the thoughts and prayers of these marvelous people in her life.

I debated a long time before starting this blog. I didn't want to make it seem like a demand for more attention from those friends of ours who have already given us so much. Rather, I simply want to create a space where thoughts and prayers on my mother's behalf can be expressed in a way that she can re-read and be comforted by when she needs it. I will be posting prayers, meditations, and quotes from different spiritual traditions here. If you feel so moved, please leave a note for my mother in the "Comments" section. If there are any prayers from your own tradition you wish to share, we would love to read them; you can also simply write to say hello.

Thank you all for the comfort and love you offer us at this trying time.

I'm going to start with a quotation from the Sutta Nipata, a book of the Khaddaka Nikaya, which is a collection of Buddhist teachings.

"By the power and the truth of this practice, may all beings have happiness, and the causes of happiness.

May all be free from sorrow, and the causes of sorrow.

May all never be separated from the sacred happiness which is sorrowless...

Let your love flow outward through the universe,

To its height, its depth, its broad extent,

A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.

Then as you stand or walk,

Sit or lie down,

As long as you are awake,

Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;

Your life will bring heaven to earth."