Winds of the Soul

Cliffs of Varengeville, Gust of Wind by Claude Monet, 1881

Recently, two separate events in my life clicked together.

I was at Divine Liturgy sitting on the floor listening to the priest give his homily. Preaching on the letter to the Romans and the Gospel of Matthew, he remarked about the interior life of the soul as it relates to our Faith life. One line particularly stuck out, “the winds of the spirit”. The interior life of the soul is characterized by the winds that blow through it. A warm, lifting wind of consolation might blow through from the Father when reading The Philokalia¹. A harsh, stinging wind of guilt might be driven in after an angry remark. The burning hot wind of lust might blow through on a particularly lonely night. A joyous light breeze will often drift in upon seeing the morning glories in your yard. The soul is often guided and influenced by its prevailing wind.

Flying back to Denver from Chadron on a little eight-seater puddle jumper prompted me to remember my priest’s homily. Our little plane was being blown to and fro in the midday wind (something rarely felt on a passenger airliner). While we were never knocked completely off course or out of the sky the plane was in many ways at the mercy of the winds. But there were many winds, each seemingly blowing in its own direction. In order to safely navigate the air, our pilot had to identify and ride the winds pushing him around. He had to “see” the wind, where it was blowing, and respond to it to stay on his path. Given in too much to the wrong wind and we would end up of course and in a dangerous spot. So too with our souls.

The goal of a good prayer life is to identify, that is become aware of, the winds acting upon the soul and responding in turn. First, you must be able to see and feel the winds blowing within you. You must recognize their touch and their fruits, and you must identify their origin. From there you can respond to each wind. You can offer up a particular wind and direct it to God. Or you can bask in the warmth of a good breeze. You might also beg for a harsh, driving wind to be lessened. Whatever the response, you are navigating the winds with the Lord at your side.

Spend time in silence. Contemplate the working of the Holy Spirit. Feel the winds of the soul. Sit in the presence of the Lord. And pray.

St. Mark the Asectic, Pray for us!

1. The Philokalia is a collection of desert fathers from the early church. It was originally compiled in Greek. but was later translated and popularized in Slavonic. It holds a particularly special place in the Eastern traditions of the faith and is most notably featured in The Way of the Pilgrim. English translations have been recently published.