Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 22: Give Up, Take On, Pray '24

March 9, 2024 ~ 4th Saturday in Lent

I

Am

A Hole

In A Flute

That the Christ's Breath

Moves Through -

Listen to This

Music. 

~ Hafiz 1320-1389*

   I don’t remember when I first read a poem by Hafiz. But I do remember the first time I read the one above. I was browsing in a bookstore for nothing in particular. I saw a book and picked it up and turned the first few pages. Just after the page with all the publishing details was the poem. I had seen a few things by Hafiz but this just captured me and going no further into the book, I bought it. Take some time to sit with this poem, this image. Breathe with it. It’s a full body ~ physical, heartful, soulful ~ breath prayer. Whether or not you have any musical ability or not, imagine yourself as a flute filled with music just waiting to be released. See your breath as on a cold winter day expressed as vapor released into your surroundings. Imagine it is Christ’s breath sent into each person you pass, speak to… We are the vessels to carry all that we say we believe, even Christ Himself.

O Breath of God,
     waft through my body, permeate my soul, fill my consciousness to overflowing, open my heart to let go of judgment, anger, fear, resentment, and more internal negatives. Let me breathe in deeply to fill me so I can breathe You out into the World. For today I will give up the oblivion of mindless breathing and take on the wonder of deeply inhaling, holding, and exhaling with purpose beyond the obvious. I will stop and notice several times today as I breathe in with intention and breathe out with awareness. I will pray at those moments to experience the Radiance of Christ entering in and the humility of conveying the Glory of Christ as I release His music to the world around me. amen.


*Hafiz (Shams-ud-din Muhammad) was a beloved poet of 14th century Persians and his mystical verse has come down through the ages influencing the work and lives of Goethe and Ralph Waldo Emerson, both of whom translated his work. Arthur Conan Doyle had his character Sherlock Holmes quoting Hafiz and Johannes Brahms used several lines in his own compositions. It has been said that in difficult moments, Queen Victoria also went to the work of Hafiz. The quote above was translated by Daniel Ladinsky in his book, A Year With Hafiz.

Hafiz, is a title, rather than a name, literally meaning "protector." Depending on the context it is a term used by Muslims for someone who has completely memorized the Quran. Hafiza is the female equivalent. A hafiz is given great respect by the people of the community with titles such as "Hafiz Sahb", "Ustadh", and occasionally Sheikh.

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