In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, she spoke the cosmos into being. When she said ‘let there be light’ there was light. When she said ‘let the waters be separated from the waters’ dry land appeared. The Word God spoke in the beginning was none other than Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, in whom and for whom all things in heaven and on earth are being created. God chants the world into being and Christ is the song she sings.
The music of the spheres, sung in perfect harmony by each chorus of angels, is Christ dancing joyfully and unobstructed through all of creation – a golden thread weaving all things together, orchestrating the symphony of history from within. In harmony with the ancient song of peace, we participate in the mind of Christ, becoming like him as we grow in love and beauty.
In chapter 20 of John’s gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples behind closed doors. Breathing on them and saying ‘peace be with you,’ he shows them the wounds in his hands and side. Just as it was in the beginning, the Word of God speaks peace into his creatures, enlivening them with the Holy Spirit. We can embody this story in prayer by imitating the actions of Jesus as he appeared.
Breathing is the presence of the Holy Spirit, peace is the gift it bestows upon us. The sign of the cross is for the wounds in Christ’s hands and side, the Paschal Mystery at the heart of all things. If you are able, visualise the scene with your inner senses as you chant, enacting the story from the perspective of Christ, embodying his peace.
In this form of chanting, we embody the Word of Peace, allowing it to resonate through our being, harmonising the wisdom of our animal nature. Speak the single word peace with a deep resonate drone, like a foghorn calling out across the mist covered sea. It is the vowel in the middle of the word which carries the chant, the consonants at the beginning and end are mostly there to lead you in and bring you back from the depths of the vowel, such as, ‘ppeeeeeeaaaaaaacce.’
Hold the chant in a steady hum for as long as you can without straining yourself, exhaling all of the air in your lungs. Allow the physical vibrations of your voice to reverberate through your chest and head, eventually enveloping your whole body. Other words can be substituted based on the needs of the individual. One or two syllable words are best, simply let the vowels carry the chant. Love, joy, wisdom, God, and Jesus are all possible words to use.
The following steps walk you through the whole process, inviting you to make the sign of the cross and take a full breath between each chant. Allow this chant to invoke the presence of the Trinity within you. Your breath is the Holy Spirit, the word of peace is the Son, and the silence out of which the word arises is the Mother.
- Gentle full breath into the belly
- Sign of the cross, alternating hands with each repetition
- Slow full breath out through the mouth
- Gentle full breath into the belly
- Peace
- Repeat
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