In honor of World Water Day \u2013 marked inter alia by the Vatican \u2013 here is a meditative prayer on water that I wrote in preparation for the baptism of my son. The prayer adapts the text of the Blessing over Baptismal Waters, and does so in two ways: In its recounting of salvation history, this prayer first of all highlights the role of women. Secondly, it seeks to let the waters of birth and the waters of baptism flow together. Below is the text.<\/p>\n
And remember, our best teacher on water is: thirst.\u00a0 A blessed World Water Day to all, especially to those who thirst.<\/p>\n
Living God, \u00a0<\/em>At the very dawn of creation Your Spirit breathed gently on the waters of creation The torrential waters of the great flood You showed Hagar a well in the desert Like a mother No wonder your prophets spoke of your grace When the time had come, Dying on a cross, Living God <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In honor of World Water Day \u2013 marked inter alia by the Vatican \u2013 here is a meditative prayer on water that I wrote in preparation for the baptism of my son.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":41347,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3119,2972,187],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-plaza-new-ws","category-environment-and-ecology","category-social-justice"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/em>we call you mother
\n<\/em>because you are the source of all life.
\n<\/em>You have showered us with grace
\n<\/em>through sacramental signs
\n<\/em>which tell of the wonders of your unseen power.
\n<\/em>In Baptism we embrace your gift of water
\n<\/em>which you have made a symbol
\n<\/em>of your own overflowing life.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>you birthed the cosmos
\n<\/em>and took it in your arms to nurture it.
\n<\/em>Ever since then
\n<\/em>mothers have known your creative energy
\n<\/em>in the breaking of their waters
\n<\/em>when giving birth.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>making them wellsprings of life.
\n<\/em>You taught the waves
\n<\/em>their words of wisdom
\n<\/em>and the ocean depths
\n<\/em>their silent song of praise.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>became a sign of the waters of Baptism
\n<\/em>as they brought an end to worlds of violence
\n<\/em>and a new beginning of life.
\n<\/em>In the rainbow
\n<\/em>you gave water
\n<\/em>the color of hope.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>to revive her dying child.
\n<\/em>You inspired Hebrew midwives
\n<\/em>to save the children of Israel
\n<\/em>thus preparing a people
\n<\/em>to walk through the waters of the Red Sea.
\n<\/em>You moved a Levite woman
\n<\/em>to hide her son in a basket
\n<\/em>and entrust him to a river.
\n<\/em>Miriam sang your praises
\n<\/em>as you freed her people from slavery
\n<\/em>and drowned Pharaoh’s chariots
\n<\/em>in the waters of the sea.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>you carried your people
\n<\/em>through the desert,
\n<\/em>providing water in the wilderness.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>as morning dew
\n<\/em>as overflowing torrent
\n<\/em>as mother’s milk.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>your Word took human form
\n<\/em>in the water of Mary’s womb.
\n<\/em>Blessed, indeed, the fruit of this womb:
\n<\/em>Jesus.
\n<\/em>He was baptized in the waters of the Jordan.
\n<\/em>At a well, he spoke truth to an outcast woman
\n<\/em>and promised her living waters.
\n<\/em>He calmed the storms over the sea of Galilee
\n<\/em>and the wind and waves recognized his voice.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>water and blood flowed from his side.
\n<\/em>In them, you birthed your church.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/em>you have made water a symbol of your life
\n<\/em>ever since the dawn of creation.
\n<\/em>Let your Spirit now breathe gently on these waters of Baptism
\n<\/em>that they may become for us the waters of life,
\n<\/em>the color of hope,
\n<\/em>the sound of rain in the desert.
\n<\/em>May you birth those to be baptized
\n<\/em>into the new creation of water and the Spirit
\n<\/em>and take them in your arms to nurture them
\n<\/em>from now on until the very end of time
\n<\/em>when the river of the water of life
\n<\/em>will be all in all.<\/em><\/p>\n