"Make place for my anguish in the temple of your compassions, O Christ, that my sorrows might abide there as a living psalm, and that my movement through these hours might be as an embodied liturgy, my deep needs received as petition, your ears ever hearing what I will not have words even to ask." - Every Holy Moment, Volume II, A Liturgy for those shocked by loss
A few days ago I witnessed, up close, the most emotional pain I have ever seen someone experience, and hopefully the most I will ever see someone experience. In the midst of that crucible, someone read the words I've quoted above and I found them profound. Particularly it was the idea that simply breathing can be a psalm; where moving through time, hour by hour, can be liturgical. I thought of Psalm 46:10, "be still and know that I am God."
Tangentially related story:
A few years ago, I was introduced by a friend to the band "If These Trees Could Talk" and they have a song entitled, "The First Fire". There is a guitar solo in that song that became a prayer for me - it's an instrumental song, no words. After hearing that song, I asked the friend that introduced me to them if he thought that such a thing could serve that purpose and he said, "absolutely". I cannot describe why that guitar solo feels like a prayer, but when I hear it, I feel my heart opening up to God.
