September 14, 2025

Breathing in the Light

Breathe. Breathe in God. Breathe in hope. Sometimes that is the most basic thing you can do to re-center yourself in times that feel hopeless. This past week’s shooting death of political activist Charlie Kirk calls for us to go deeper.

All this month, we are talking about finding hope from within. This week, I invite you to try a breathing prayer to help embody hope. 

Breathe

Start by closing your eyes or gazing downward. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of three, and then exhale slowly out through your mouth for a count of three. Repeat this three times to develop a rhythm and feel yourself sink deeply into the center of your heart.

Read

In the beginning was the Word; the Word was in God’s presence, and the Word was God. The Word was present to God from the beginning. Through the Word all things came into being, and apart from the Word nothing came into being that has not come into being. In the Word was life, and that life was humanity’s light—a Light that shines in the darkness, a Light that the darkness has never overtaken. 

-Jn 1:1-5

Write 

What is this verse telling you? Let it inspire you to choose a phrase or create your own mantra of hope. Examples include: 

Order out of chaos 

Light in the darkness 

Never overtaken 

Spirit of God moving 

Breathe 

Return to your intentional rhythm of breathing with your mantra. 

Inhale the first half of your mantra.

Exhale the second half of your mantra. 

Breathe in and out, hope.   

Grow Your Practice. Grow Your Faith

• If you enjoyed this practice, join us for “Listening for the Still Voice of God” (see below). Discover how to find God’s signs of hope.

• If you are tired of this country’s divisiveness, learn more about, “Sacred Self, Sacred Community,” where a sacred community is defined as, “a place that respects each person’s story, celebrates one another’s differences, and supports one another’s faith journey.” (See below for more information).