Leaving the Old, Welcoming the New
Go to your place of prayer where you can be alone in stillness.
Begin by quieting your body and mind. It is helpful to do this by taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Do this three or four times.
Recall the presence of the Holy One dwelling in love within you.
Turn your heart to remembrance of how this Holy One shelters you.
Place your hands on your lap, palms up and open.
Mentally place in your hands these people and events of the past year:
. . . your loved ones,
. . . your colleagues and coworkers,
. . . those for whom you were responsible to offer care and concern,
. . . those with whom you have had differences and struggles,
. . . all people, events, and situations that held significance for you,
. . . anyone or anything else that comes to your mind or heart.
Now, mentally place in your open hands all of your gifts of the past year:
. . . your happiness,
. . . your successes,
. . . your insights and awareness,
. . . your messengers from the Holy One,
. . . your difficult things that helped you grow,
. . . whatever else seems like a gift to you.
Offer your prayer of gratitude for the year just completed, with all its blessings and opportunities for growth. You might want to pause here and write a prayer.
Next, place in your open hands:
. . . your whole life, all your concerns, cares, hopes, dreams, joys,
. . . any specific persons with whom you feel especially bonded, or hope to be, in the new year,
. . . the beauty of earth,
. . . anything or anyone else whom you are especially mindful of brining into the new year with you.
Entrust yourself to the Holy One. Pray your prayer of hope as you begin the new year. You may want to pause and write this prayer of hope.
To close this time of prayer, stand, raise your hands (palms up). Hold them high in the air. Once again, place all of your life in those hands and give all to the Holy One. Then bow to the Holy One who dwells within you. Go with peace and hope into the new year.
Taken from Out of the Ordinary 2000 by Joyce Rupp. Used by permission of Ave Maria Press. All Rights Reserved
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