Liturgy: Breathe

I spent the last hours of 2012 in meditation on a cot in the St. Francis cell of the guest house of the Lady of our Holy Trinity Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Huntsville, Utah.Breathe in. Breathe out. In the morning I went for a walk along the ½ mile road leading to the Abbey in 12 degree air. Breathe in. Breathe out. The fields surrounding the monastery were silent, sleeping white in their winter coats; the mountains surrounding the valley cloaked in shimmering snow. Breathe in. Breathe out. The air was still and smoky as it left my mouth and condensed as ice on my beard. Breathe in. Breathe out. The snow uttered muffled low squeaks under my feet as I walked in panoramic awe. Breathe in. Breathe out.