A reflection from Mike Gettel-Gilmartin:

PRAYER OF ST. BRENDAN
"Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown.
Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You.

Christ of the mysteries, I trust You
to be stronger than each storm within me.
I will trust in the darkness and know
that my times, even now, are in Your hand.
Tune my spirit to the music of heaven,
and somehow, make my obedience count for You." AMEN.

The other day I came across this prayer on a Facebook page called The Celtic Christian Tradition. It epitomizes what is going on in my own life right now, as I “journey into the unknown.”

The past few years have been tough, as society deals with the merciless Covid-19 pandemic, authoritarian impulses in government, and the ever-threatening consequences of the climate crisis. I’m sure I’m not the only one who fears for the future of my children and grandchildren.

Like Jacob, I wrestle with where God is in all of this. As Christians, we are told that God is with the poor – but, as Christians, do we really act that way when we see scores of our fellow humans living in tents on our streets? We are told that, when we visit those in prison and do acts of mercy, we are doing this to God – but I would wager most of us turn a blind eye to the conditions in our prison system and want nothing to do with prisoners.

This is why St. Brendan’s prayer was so meaningful. It asks me to have faith to leave old ways (of thinking, of behaving, of believing), and to break fresh ground with the Christ of the mysteries. This Advent, I pray that Christ will be stronger than each storm within me, and that I will know, even now, that my times are in God’shands.

Please take a moment to reread the prayer at the beginning of this devotion. Sit with it and see what insights it brings.