Advent 3B (1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)

In his letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul commands the following: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances...Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” I think we can all agree that his teaching on how we ought to conduct our spiritual lives makes sense. Not quenching the Spirit, not despising the words of the prophets, testing everything, holding fast to what’s good, and abstaining from every form of evil do sound reasonable and even doable. ​

But the first three tasks might sound much more challenging than others. If St. Paul said, “Rejoice sometimes, pray when you can, give thanks in appropriate circumstances,” his commands wouldn’t sound so demanding and impossible. Is he being unrealistic? We know we would like to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances, but we don’t and can’t for many reasons. The real question is “How do we do that?” I personally do struggle with this consistent spiritual practice of joy, prayer, and gratitude. 

Rather than focusing on what we can’t do, let’s pay attention to what we can. Can we think of one thing that we’re doing always, without ceasing, and in all circumstances? There’s one thing that all of us including animals do in common: breathing. We breathe always, without ceasing, and in all circumstances. It’s the most fundamental function of human survival. We never had to learn how to do it. As we come into this world, it’s the very first activity we do automatically. Since then, we’ve never stopped breathing. Even right now as you’re reading this, you’re breathing. 

What if we consider our breathing as a form of prayer? What if our breathing is transformed into prayer? “Breathe without ceasing” doesn’t sound so difficult. It is the only thing we can confidently do in all circumstances, without ceasing, and always. We naturally know how to do it. What’s at stake then is to turn our breathing into an act of prayer. Spiritually reflecting on the vital function of breathing, our Scriptures show us God breathing into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life (Gen. 2:7) and the resurrected Christ breathing on the disciples and saying to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22) 

These two biblical images analogously apply to us too. God breathed into the nostrils of each one of us the breath of life. In our baptism, the resurrected Christ breathed on us, and we received the Holy Spirit. Yet, these are not just a one-time event. God is still breathing in us. So, breathing is not just a mere physiological function. It is not only physically but also spiritually vital to our lives. It is the very presence of the Holy Spirit breathing in us. Closing our eyes, we pay attention to our breathing. We listen to how we breathe. Air coming in and out, as if the boat of our very being is floating gently and calmly on the water. Deep down, breathing is the anchor that grounds our existence. The source of our breath is God. 
Breathing is in a way a sacrament, an outward sign of God’s very presence which can be felt in our bodies. Even after our faculty of thinking and feeling stops, breathing continues. It’s the only activity that can be left alone, that doesn’t have to be suspended in our union with God. As we mindfully and attentively breathe in and out, God breathes in and out within us. This union of the breathes is the essence of our prayer life. To pray without ceasing is to breathe in the presence of God without ceasing. In this prayerful breathing, we encounter the deepest reality of our lives. We’re filled with gratitude for the breath of life and joy of the resurrection in the Holy Spirit. Breathing the breath of God, God sanctifies us with peace.  

In this season of longing for the coming of Christ, let us pay attention to our breathing in which God lovingly and compassionately breathes in us the breath of life and the spirit of the resurrection in Christ. “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)