Let the Wind Blow! (A Prayer for the Conclave)

When Pope John XXIII called for the Second Vatican Council, his main goal was to bring the Church up to date by opening its doors to the wind of the Spirit. A commonly used metaphor was that "a wind would blow through the church" in order to "open the windows of the Church to let in a fresh air of the Spirit."

This analogy of letting the wind blow through the Church is a most fitting one as we enter these days of conclave. May the wind of the Spirit blow through Church in new ways, blow over the hearts and minds of the Cardinals so that they would elect the Pope we need for the Church and the human family at this time in history.

And so as we imagine and visualize this sacred wind blowing through and in our Church and in each of us, I invite you to join me in this prayer:

Breath of God and Wind of revival,

We now enter these sacred days of the conclave - of listening, praying, voting, and decision making.

We come with our hopes, longings, anxieties, fears, and above all an aching desire for our Church to reflect and look like Jesus Christ in our next pontiff.

May a mighty, fierce wind blow through the Cardinals.

Blow over their conversations and personal biases.

Speak boldly to them in the communal and collective prayer.

Break down barriers of stubbornness, non-receptivity, and thaw frozen hearts and minds.

Blow over their hearts and minds that what is in the best interest of the global Church would be called forth.

Come with inspiration, with wisdom, and with revitalizing energy and freshness.

Remove any stagnancy or a spirit of "wheeling and dealing."

May whomever steps out onto the balcony to greet the faithful is exactly the leader our Church and our globe needs at this moment in history.

Spirit of God, living and breathing in each of us, we surrender our prayers and ourselves as we enter a time of conclave together.

Let us take heart in faith, remembering that what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.

In all the holy names of God, we make this prayer.

Amen.