A solstice prayer

As we move through the Summer Solstice, the gift of the day of longest light (21st June in the northern hemisphere) and a chance to open and be opened by the rhythm of Nature and the life-giving presence of the Creator in our lives – we pray:

Let me breathe only grace today,
only that which slows, steadies,
softens, sparks
only that which points
to the blossoms inside the broken,
the poetry inside the pain,
the nourishing newness inside the now.

Let me breathe only grace
today, only that which invites
me to speak my very own
language for as long as I have breath,
only that which hums:
You can.
You will.

Let me breathe only grace
today, only that which notices the tired
and says, lie back, rest
for as long as you need to.

It’s not
about how much you do
but how full you are.
And, my God, how beautiful you are when you are full.

(adapted extract from a poem by Julia Fehrenbacher).

Happy summer! The June solstice arrived this morning (Tuesday, June 21) marking the astronomical first day of summer. The solstice is celebrated by many cultures around the world.n the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice (aka summer solstice) occurs when the Sun travels along its northernmost path in the sky. This marks the astronomical start of summer in the northern half of the globe. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite: the June solstice marks the astronomical start of winter, when the Sun is at its lowest point in the sky.)