Breathe!
One of my
Lenten disciplines this year is to spend more time in prayerful
meditation. That means paying attention
to each and every breath. Because breathing is instinctive, we rarely
notice it until stress, fear or a respiratory ailment takes our breath away.
The ancient
Greek word for breath is pneuma,
which in Scripture is also translated as “spirit” or “soul.” The Hebrew word for breath is ruah, which also means “spirit.” According to Scripture, humanity began when
God breathed life into Adam. Humanity
was renewed when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit onto the disciples. So important is the breath of God that
according to the psalmist, without God’s breath, we die.
This weekend,
when we celebrate the Scrutiny Rites with our Elect, we will pray that God’s
breath will animate them with healing and strength. These
rites include prayers of exorcism, prayers that are intended to free the Elect
from anything which might prevent them from fully experiencing the love of God
as they continue their journey to the Sacraments of Initiation. In the ancient world, it was believed that
catechumens were particularly susceptible to powers of evil, so from the
beginning, the Church has offered these prayers of protection for the
unbaptized. But prayers of exorcism are
not only for the unbaptized. The
Church’s Rite of Exorcisms includes prayers for the baptized who need to be
freed from the powers of evil.
Recently,
the U.S. Bishops approved the first ever English translation for the revised
ritual of Exorcisms and Related Supplications.
Unlike the images from the horror movie, The Exorcist, there is nothing magical or superstitious in the
Church’s Rite of Exorcism. In addition
to Psalms and Gospel readings, there are prayers and the use of symbols. Water, the imposition of hands, breathing on
the person’s face and the Cross all recall the saving power of baptism. These prayers attest to the power of evil. But they also affirm that God’s Spirit, God’s
very breath, is strong enough to overcome any and all evil.
