Becoming a Healing Presence: Breathing the Name Jesus, pt.1

This Tuesday, we will be discussing chapter 2 “Breathing the Name Jesus” of Dr. Albert S. Rossi’s book Becoming a Healing Presence.  In this chapter, Dr. Rossi discusses the importance of breath and of listening and seeing as a means of discovering the presence of God beside us and within us. The first step to being still (as both Dr. Rossi and Billy teach us) is to breathe and to pay attention to our breath. pp.31-35,43-45. The Scriptures begin with that wonderful image of God forming Adam from the dust of the ground and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life causing this creation to become alive. Gen. 2:7. As Maximus the Confessor (580-662) says “God is breath” and in our breathing, we can return to him.  Or as Gregory of Palmas (1296-1359) recommends: to still the chaos of the mind we must “pay attention to the exhalation and inhalation of our breath.” In our breathing, we become aware of that Presence within us that was first given to Adam. This week, try to set aside a few minutes each day to simply become aware of the breath of God within you.

Dr. Rossi also points out that as we slow down to hear our breathing and become aware of God’s presence, we begin to be attentive and see and hear God all around us. This makes manifest within us Jesus’ saying “blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears for they hear.” Matt 13:16. p.37-41. Life becomes a treasure hunt for seeing and hearing God’s blessing and presence in the most ordinary of circumstances – the interaction of a parent and a child at a grocery store or a story told in the TSA line at an airport.  As you go through your life this week, ask to see and to hear these small treasures of life with the expectation that it will be given to you.

Dinner is at 6. The menu is tacos. Discussion begins about 6:45. Hope to see you here.  

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host.

Ezekiel 37:9-10