Hello, friend,

This week, I have felt drawn to the power of sacred words.

As someone rooted in the Christian tradition, the Lord’s Prayer has been part of my spiritual life for as long as I can remember:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…

The words are so familiar that I can speak them without thinking. Perhaps you can too. Yet familiarity can be both a gift and a challenge. A prayer carried in memory is always available to us, but sometimes we recite it so automatically that we reach “Amen” before our hearts have caught up with our voices.

Lately, I have also been reflecting on the use of chants within Reiki practice. These chants arise from a tradition different from my own, yet their repetition has reminded me of something deeply familiar: sacred words can help quiet the mind, steady the breath, and turn our attention toward healing and presence.

The Lord’s Prayer and Reiki chants are not the same practice, nor do they come from the same religious tradition. Still, both invite me to consider what happens when words are repeated with reverence and intention.

When Repetition Becomes Attention

Repetition is sometimes dismissed as empty or mindless. It certainly can become that way. But repetition can also carry us beneath the surface of language.

A familiar prayer may begin in the mouth, descend into the heart, and eventually settle into the body.

The words slow our breathing. Their rhythm steadies us. Their familiarity gives the wandering mind somewhere to return.

In Christian contemplation, repeated prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Jesus Prayer, or a simple phrase from Scripture can help us become more attentive to God. In other spiritual and healing traditions, chants and sacred sounds may create a similar rhythm of focused presence.

For me, exploring practices outside Christianity does not require abandoning my Christian roots. Instead, it can help me return to familiar prayers with renewed attention. A different tradition may illuminate something my own tradition has been teaching all along: the Holy often meets us when we become still enough to notice.

This Week’s Sacred Pause

Set aside five quiet minutes.

Begin by taking three slow breaths. Then pray the Lord’s Prayer more slowly than usual. Pause briefly after each line.

Afterward, choose one phrase that seems to remain with you. It might be:

Thy will be done.Give us this day our daily bread.Forgive us our trespasses.Deliver us from evil.

Repeat that phrase gently several times. Do not analyze it. Notice how it feels in your breath, your body, and your spirit.

Then sit in silence and ask:

What might the Divine be inviting me to notice through these words today?

There is no need to force an answer. The practice itself is enough.

A Place for Your Spiritual Questions

Spiritual direction offers room to explore the practices, questions, doubts, experiences, and traditions that are shaping your inner life. You do not need to hide the parts of your spiritual journey that feel complicated or difficult to explain.

My approach is Christian-rooted, contemplative, and welcoming of people whose spiritual lives may not fit neatly within one box. I am currently welcoming new directees for individual sessions through Zoom. The first conversation is complimentary and gives us an opportunity to meet, discuss what you are seeking, and discern whether spiritual direction feels like a helpful next step.

May the words you repeat this week become more than words. May they become breath, attention, and an opening through which the sacred can meet you.

With peace,

Naoma Riordan Certified Spiritual Director, Educator, Author, and Navy Veteran Naoma Riordan, LLC Helping People Live, Lead, and Learn with Purpose

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