Ice bath utterances

Available for over a year

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Daniel Sibthorpe Good morning I regularly swim outdoors, but at this time of the year, that means I’m also a cold water swimmer, one of those adventurous people who take ice cold plunges to kick start their day, supposedly. Where I swim, the seasonal changes have shifted the marine lake's visitors from families and sunbathers to either dedicated winter swimmers or newcomers trying it for the first time. Upon entering the water, the sounds are quite similar: shrieks of shock or joy, mostly the former, along with a fair amount of swearing. This unusual behaviour is occurring throughout the U.K. this morning, but it is not as new as it might seem. St. Congar, who was born around 470 AD, was a Welsh abbot who crossed the Bristol Channel to settle in Somerset and establish a monastery. Each day, he would enter the cold waters of the local river and remain there until he had recited the Lord’s Prayer three times. After this daily ritual, he would industriously get on with his work, transforming the area's marshes into fertile fields. Like St Congar, when encountering today's challenges, whether they arise unexpectedly or are of our own making, we too are confronted with a choice. After the initial shock wears off, do we respond with anger and frustration, or do we try to refocus and seek solace through prayer? Are we criticizing God for not preventing these situations, or are we calling upon Him for help? So today I pray that faced with trials or challenges, we can handle the shock, recover our equilibrium, pray, and endure. Amen