October Prayers | For our longings & desires

GREETINGS, FRIENDS!

Throughout the pandemic, there's been a massive movement of people in the US - leaving or starting new jobs, moving from here to there. Some transitions have been through a certain degree of privilege. For many, external pressures are the driving force. This month, let's consider the tender place of our desires amidst such upheaval. Where do our longings fit within our occupations and vocations?

I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it
— Psalm 81:10

Blessed be the longing that brought you here and quickens your soul with wonder.

May you have the courage to listen to the voice of desire that disturbs you when you have settled for something safe.

May you have the wisdom to enter generously into your own unease to discover the new direction your longing wants you to take.

May the forms of your belonging - in low, creativity, and friendship - be equal to the grandeur and the call of your soul.

May the one you long for long for you.

May your dreams gradually reveal the destination of your desire.

May a secret Providence guide your thought and nurture your feeling.

May your mind inhabit your life with the sureness with which your body inhabits the world.

-John O'Donohue

More resources on vocation & longing:

Talk with Rev. Bill Haley for our Fellows.

Dr. Chris Yates on The Loss of Longing in an Age of Curated Reality

Kate Bowler’s podcast - Everything Happens