Prayer for the Athlete

Again, it is with nervousness that I post anything of a religious nature. But I couldn't call myself an honest blogger if I shied away from it.

I have always wondered why Christians didn't take more of a hint from Buddhists and Hindus and other yoga-practicing religions, on the idea of the integration of prayer and physical work, exercise and breathing. After all, the bible does say that God "breathed" life into us at creation, and that our bodies are "temples of the Holy Spirit." It only seems natural that we integrate prayer into our everyday physical activities. They are, after all, rituals. In fact, if we are mindful as we do them, then the acts indeed do become prayer themselves.

Mother Teresa said:

"There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible."

It is with her inspiration and with the inspiration of yoga philosophy, I felt the
need to write a prayer for the athlete:

Dear God,

Thank you for this day
and a healthy body through which
to experience the world and do your will

My body is a gift from God
Lord help me to nourish and protect it
and keep it holy and pure

My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
In prayer I labor every day
In prayer I breathe in and out
In prayer I make love to my spouse
In prayer I endure the pain of the human condition
In prayer I conquer temptations of the flesh

Lord thank you for legs to carry me
And arms to carry each other
Holy Spirit fill me and guide me through this day

Amen.