Invocation to the Christ of the Four Directions

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We call upon the Christ of the East:

You, whose birth was foretold by prophets,
You, whose birth was heralded by the eastern star,
You, whose birth was surrounded by the radiance of angels,
You, whose birth was illuminated by the heavenly hosts,
You, whose birth was attended by watchful shepherds,
You, whose birth was visited by wise ones from the East,
You, whose birth bespoke the dawning of a new age of love and peace,

As the sunrise signals a new day,
O Christ of the East:
Bring now new vision and imagination into our minds.
Purify us with Your fire of clarity and bum in our hearts.
Humble us, with Bethlehem's birth, in knowledge and love of you.
Throw out, in us, new shoots and branches, as the stem of
Jesse's rod did bloom again through your incarnation.
Soar us to the heights of angel/eagle vision.
Show us the lion and the lamb lying down together.
Illuminate our bodies with the light of your presence.

O You, whose birth brings a peace which passes
All understanding, raise us to a new awareness.

O Christ of the East, Sun of God,
We call upon you.
Amen.

We call upon the Christ of the South:
You, who in fresh youth were drawn, unsated, to grow in wisdom in the temple.

You, who grew in stature as you grew in spiritual strength,
You, who through abiding trust in your Father, taught others to trust in you,
You, who transformed fish and bread into a midday meal for thousands,
You, who at a wedding, led many to shed old skins of self as you shed old wine skins for new wine.
You, who, in parable, planted abundant energy in those who truly listened.
You, who in healing touch and word, brought wholeness to the ill and broken.

As the warm south wind caresses the summer,
O Christ of the South;

Enter our hearts and heal us.
Grow us back to laughter, trust and innocence.
Poke us, as with the quills of the porcupine, provoking us to learn.
Warm our souls with gentleness,
Refresh our wilted wills,
Cultivate in us new green, growing aspects to our lives.
Reconnect us to the web of life.

O You, who are the fruit of the earth, take up residence in us now and be the One in whom our destiny lies. Nurture us, fertilise us, flower us in your grace. O Christ of the South, cultivator of souls,
We call upon you.
Amen.

We call upon the Christ of the West:
You, who saw the harvest bounty of your mission,
You, who reaped the wisdom of the Spirit,
You, who sat in thanksgiving with your friends,
You, who were betrayed at the price of your body and your blood.

You, who prayed alone in the garden contemplating that which could not be altered.
You, who understood that transfiguration comes through the gateway of death,
You, who bore your death as an impeccable warrior for us all.

As sunset and twilight come upon us,
O Christ of the West:

Comfort us with your knowledge of the darkness. Encourage us, like the black bear, to enter the cave
of contemplation.
Lead us, in silence and solitude, to see that which we must allow to die in us.
Teach us to pray, "Thy will be done."
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts,
Protect us as we drink from the chalice of decision.
Give us the pure water of righteousness to assuage our thirst at death.

O You, who shake hands with thunder and are the willing servant of surrender, walk with us into
darkness, there to befriend the shadows.
Take the raven of death that we may watch and wait and be transformed.
O Christ of the West, protector of souls, we call upon you. Amen.

O Christ of the North:

You, who bore the pain of Calvary,
You, who blessed the ones who cursed you,
You, who lay in the tomb, germinating resurrection,
You, who even as you entered Hades, challenged those around you,
You, who in your rising, fulfilled the expectations and prophecies of the ancestors.
You, who in your ascending, gave the promise of a new covenant to the beings of the future,
You, who in the snowy cold of mid winter, began the quiet cycle of birth again,
in our hearts as we tell your story.

As we enter our own winters of death and seeding,
O Christ of the North:

Keep vigil with us as we bear the harsh, cold times of our lives.
Wrap us in cloaks of clarity and strength when the strong, north winds of challenge blow around us.
Weave pure and crystalline threaded shrouds of understanding around us as we lie in death.
Give us the grace and silence of the snowy owl to go within and seek our inner wisdom.
Help us to remember to call upon the many blessings and gifts of our elders for our endurance and creativity.
Keep us in honesty and truth with the remembrance of your fidelity and faithfulness even unto crucifixion.
Nourish us with deep sleep and perfect rest as we cradle the seeds of new life within us.
O You, who were the source and power of Life before the elders -
And who will be so after those yet
unborn, be with us as we continue through the spiral of life, death and after-life.
O Christ of the North, Holy Guardian of us all, we call upon you.
Amen.

by Suzanne Fageol in Shine On, Star of Bethlehem, CAFOD