The Listening Body

Source of physical being; help me to hear you in my body. Teach me to tend to my physical needs and be aware of my bodily conditions. Show me your creative energy in young bodies—in baby stages of growth, infant explorations, childish fantasies, and adolescent obsessions. Let me know your strength in maturing bodies that develop healthily, fill out abundantly, stretch effortlessly and skip lightly. Reveal to me your wisdom also in aging bodies that sag, bulge, wrinkle and hurt. Help me to see your love in, and bring your love to, distressed bodies that are handicapped, sick or taken from us for no apparent reason. Help me to have faith that you speak from all things, including bodies. And that, despite our physical limitations, we can grow in timeless peace and perpetual reconciliation.

The Listening Mind

Source of my intelligence; help me to think about what I think. Teach me to examine my thoughts for your revelation. Help me to recognize the difference between healthy concern and over anxiety; between a tendency to protect and inclination to control; between honest opinion and disparaging judgment. Show me how to discern the will of goodness and to control my tendencies toward distrust. Through faith, help me to seek thoughts of reconciliation and avoid revenge, to be positive rather than negative, to encourage rather than discourage. May I open my mind to the possibility that I might sometimes be wrong, and learn to nurture kind thoughts not only toward others but also toward myself.

The Listening Heart

Source of emotions put me in touch with what I feel. Make me aware of my passions, revulsions, attractions and obsessions. Let me accurately read my whole range of emotional reactions. Your divinity can be found in all experiences, help me to hear you in my heart. When I am sad let me mourn healthily; when I am excited help me to enthuse appropriately; when I am glad help me not to boast, and when I am angry may I vent without violent thoughts or acts. In mood swings and stability, teach me what I need to learn. Help me to own my feelings, to take them and examine them, to greet them unafraid at their coming in and let them go willingly at their parting. May each feeling become an opportunity to grow toward greater compassion.