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Gently voiced meditations in the spirit of lectio divina and centering prayer, held in quiet, immersive stereo sound and shaped by the rhythms of Scripture and the turning seasons of the Christian year. Best experienced through headphones.
BREATH OF LOVE -- Advent 2A
>>>Welcome
Welcome to Breath of Love.
This is a place for sacred listening --
a rhythm of Scripture, silence, and embodied prayer.
Each week we enter the same simple pattern:
breathing, receiving,
returning to the heart of love that holds all things.
Wherever you are -- in stillness or in motion --
alone or among others --
you are part of this circle of sound.
There is nothing you need to perform here.
Only to breathe.
Only to receive.
So we begin, as always,
by finding the breath again --
a breath that meets us where we are
and carries us deeper
into the mystery of Christ alive in all things.
>>>Centering and Breath Prayer
Find yourself in a comfortable position…
or as comfortable as you can be in this moment.
You might be sitting… lying down…
or gently moving through your space…
however you arrive, you can arrive just as you are.
And as you land here,
you may notice the simple truth of being a body --
the weight of you…
the rhythm of breath…
your attention drifting and returning…
all of it part of the practice…
all of it simply here.
If it feels right, you might soften your gaze…
or close your eyes…
or let your awareness widen a little --
as though listening for a quiet kindness already near you.
As breath finds its way,
you might imagine Advent as a small clearing within --
a gentle opening,
a path through inner wilderness,
readying itself without urgency
for the One who comes in mercy and in fire.
If your mind wanders --
as minds naturally do --
you might notice how even wandering has a place,
how each moment can unfold as it needs to,
without pressure or judgment.
And now we rest inside a simple breath prayer:
Breathing in: Wisdom taking root…
Breathing out: Peace blooming within…
Let the rhythm settle in its own time.
>>>Reading 1 -- Isaiah 11:1–10
A reading from the prophet Isaiah.
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples;
the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
>>>Meditation 1 -- Isaiah 11:1–10
Isaiah’s vision still shimmers in the air --
a tender shoot rising from an old stump,
a hint of newness where everything seemed finished,
and creation gathering itself toward peace.
As you breathe,
you might sense that same quiet renewal
stirring inside your own inner landscape --
something small… yet steady…
something alive beneath the surface.
There is no hurry in this growth.
No need to force it.
New life unfolds at its own pace,
toward its own light.
Return, if you wish, to your breath prayer:
Breathing in: Wisdom taking root…
Breathing out: Peace blooming within…
Let that tender vision rest within you.
>>>Reading 2 -- Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19
Give the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King's Son;
That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice;
That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and the little hills bring righteousness.
He shall defend the needy among the people; *
he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.
He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like showers that water the earth.
In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, *
who alone does wondrous deeds!
And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *
and may all the earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.
>>>Meditation 2 -- Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19
The psalm’s longing lingers --
a world shaped by justice,
a ruler who lifts the poor,
a peace that takes root
in the flourishing of the vulnerable.
You might feel how justice and peace
move together like a single current --
one deepening the other,
both forming the rhythm of true wholeness.
Let your breath reflect that movement:
inhaling compassion…
exhaling release.
Breathing in: Wisdom taking root…
Breathing out: Peace blooming within…
You might notice a quiet spaciousness
opening within you --
a peace that doesn’t demand,
but gently grows.
>>>Reading 3 -- Romans 15:4–13
A reading from the letter to the Romans.
Whatever was written in former days
was written for our instruction,
so that by steadfastness
and by the encouragement of the scriptures
we might have hope.
May the God of steadfastness and encouragement
grant you to live in harmony with one another,
in accordance with Christ Jesus,
so that together you may with one voice
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome one another, therefore,
just as Christ has welcomed you,
for the glory of God.
For I tell you that Christ has become
a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God
in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,
and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written,
"Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
and sing praises to your name";
and again he says,
"Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people";
and again,
"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples praise him";
and again Isaiah says,
"The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope."
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
>>>Meditation 3 -- Romans 15:4–13
Paul’s encouragement is still resonating --
hope as something poured into us,
joy and peace rising not from effort
but from the steady presence of the Spirit.
You might imagine your inhale
as the shape of that hope --
lifting, opening, widening.
And your exhale
as a soft settling --
a release into trust.
Breathing in: Wisdom taking root…
Breathing out: Peace blooming within…
Let Paul’s blessing surround you --
a hope that fills…
gentle, nourishing, true.
>>>Reading 4 -- Matthew 3:1–12
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew.
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’”
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair
with a leather belt around his waist,
and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism,
he said to them,
“You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bear fruit worthy of repentance.
Do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’;
for I tell you, God is able from these stones
to raise up children to Abraham.
Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees;
every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance,
but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me;
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fork is in his hand,
and he will clear his threshing floor
and will gather his wheat into the granary;
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
>>>Meditation 4 -- Matthew 3:1–12
John’s voice from the wilderness still echoes --
clear, bracing, honest --
a call to prepare the way
in the places within us that feel rugged or untended.
You don’t need to carve a path by force.
You might simply sense where fresh air is needed…
where truth wants to speak…
where renewal is quietly beginning.
Wilderness can be a place of deep possibility --
open enough for love to arrive
in ways we don’t expect.
If it helps you settle:
Breathing in: Wisdom taking root…
Breathing out: Peace blooming within…
Let the inner path open
at its own pace,
in its own gentle way.
>>>Body Blessing
And now,
Take a full, easy breath
into your forehead and temples --
the pathways of thought and intuition --
letting clarity settle wherever it wishes.
Into your eyes --
that they may soften
and see with compassion.
Into your jaw and mouth --
loosening what has been tight,
making space for ease.
Into your throat --
the channel of voice and truth --
allowing spaciousness to return.
Into your shoulders --
where effort gathers --
a softening moving slowly through them.
Into your chest and heart --
the center of courage and tenderness --
a steady warmth growing there.
Into your belly --
a grounding presence,
an inner steadiness that supports you.
Into your hips and low back --
keepers of memory and movement --
may rest take root here,
as if the body were remembering
its own natural grace.
Down into your legs and feet --
carriers of your unfolding path --
may they feel supported,
steady,
blessed.
And one breath for your whole body…
from crown to sole…
a single, woven, beloved being --
a clearing where Christ is drawing near.
Amen.
Farewell
As our time together comes to a close,
There is no hurry.
The breath that holds you goes with you into what is next.
When you speak, may your words carry kindness.
When you move, may your steps remember stillness.
And when you rest, may you feel the quiet joy
of belonging to all that is.
This is Breath of Love.
Until next time --
go gently,
and breathe peace.
The Bible texts (except for the Psalm) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
The Psalm is from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.
All other content is copyright 2025 by Breath of Love.