The Centurion's Prayer. An Ignatian Remembrance
Empty now of blood and water
Empty now of fire and air
Descend again to she who formed you
To scent of earth, to breath of wind
Renew again our ground of being.
This short personal reflection is offered on Good Friday 2012 as a response to the crass commercialisation and diversionary spirit that has overtaken the time of Easter throughout much of the Western world. It offers an Ignatian remembrance - an act of conscious imagining and visualisation - of the events that took place in Palestine some 2,000 years ago when the rebel Jesus of Nazareth (to use Jackson Browne's term) suffered the fate of a common criminal in the act of execution by crucifixion ordered by the Roman governors at that time.
Yet the time of Easter bespeaks more than a Paschal sacrifice. It heralds the regeneration and renewal that emanates endlessly through the heart of love. [Full poem here]
The music that accompanies this piece was composed and performed by Nico Di Stefano. The Centurion's Prayer can be streamed using the media player [below]. A CD quality mp3 audio file is available for download here.