Breathe

Around the early months of 2024, I was experiencing a lot of anxiety, confusion and
stress from the events that occured in my personal life. At the time I went to mass, the
whole congregation was praying a pre-mass prayer, and I hope that it along with the rest of
the mass would help me. The following prayer appeared on-screen and I prayed;

 

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy.

 

It was the Holy Spirit Prayer by Saint Augustine. Immediately, I felt a comforting
sense of peace and reassurance. As I kept praying this prayer for several weeks, I knew I
wanted to set it to music.

 

This piece slowly unfolds the breath of the Holy Spirit through unpitched breaths,
humming and 'oohs' and 'ahhs', then finally with sung text. The sung text slowly weaves its
way around the parts and grows into a fiery climax showing how the breath of the Holy
Spirit grows stronger the more you pray.