Thomas McPherson - Essential Celtic Prayers

Essential
Celtic
Prayers THOMAS McPHERSON PARACLETE PRESS BREWSTER, MASSACHUSETTS 2017 First Printing Essential Celtic Prayers Copyright 2017 by Paraclete Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-61261-926-2 All Scripture references are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Paraclete Press. Title: Essential Celtic prayers.

Description: Brewster MA : Paraclete Press Inc., 2017. Identifiers: LCCN 2016057963 | ISBN 9781612619262 (trade paper) Subjects: LCSH: Prayers. | Celts--Religion. Classification: LCC BV245 .E75 2017 | DDC 242/.80089916--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016057963 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy; recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Published by Paraclete Press Brewster, Massachusetts www.paracletepress.com Printed in the United States of America Table of Contents Introduction People from all faiths and none at all find in the Celtic tradition an expression of spirituality deeply connected to nature and vibrantly alivea spiritual rootedness we long for in the twenty-first century, at the same time simpler and richer.

This book is a collection of some of the most beautiful and beloved prayers of Celtic Christianity, which speak to us across the centuries. Celtic Christianity emerged in a time and place where nature was ever-presentin the seasonal harvest and disruptions of it, in the sometimes brutal climate, and in all the gifts from the earth. In their simple rural life, the Celtic Christians were surrounded by the cycles of nature: the seasons, lunar months, tides, dawn and dusk. Even in ordinary tasks like gardening, metalworking, sheep herding, and farm chores, they felt Gods sacred presence all around in the natural world. Many of the prayers in this volume have been passed down and adapted through the centuries. A few have been codified in the regular prayer life of Christians today as liturgical prayers and hymns.

Some have been preserved thanks to the Carmina Gadelica, a volume of prayers, blessings, charms, and other sacred texts collected in the latter half of the nineteenth century by folklorist Alexander Carmichael. These are presented here with the language updated somewhat. All offer us a distinct perspective on the divine, imbued with nature and focused on the Trinity. May the Road Rise Up to Meet You The Original Perhaps the best-known Celtic prayer is the classic blessing May the Road Rise Up to Meet You. With its hopeful and forward-looking message, it is often used at weddings, sometimes in musical form. There are many versions; the original is this simple six-line version: May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand. A Popular Version The most common version known today, which may or may not trace back to the early Celtic church, is quite a bit longer. May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand. May God be with you and bless you; May you see your childrens children. May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings, May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward. May the road rise to meet you May the wind be always at your back May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home And may the hand of a friend always be near. May green be the grass you walk on, May blue be the skies above you, May pure be the joys that surround you, May true be the hearts that love you. Peace Deep peace and Rutters A Gaelic Blessing When thinking of Celtic prayers in hymn form, theres a good chance someone will land on John Rutters 1978 A Gaelic Blessing, with its evocative and quintessentially Celtic words loaded with links between the divine and nature.

The last few lines shift the focus to Christ, but Rutter added these. He says the central words are based on a Celtic rune (poem). In fact, Rutters first lines appear about halfway through a longer prayer in the 1895 novel The Dominion of Dreams: Under the Dark Star by William Sharp (writing as Fiona Macleod.) Deep peace of the running wave to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you. Deep peace of the quiet earth to you. Whether Rutter and Sharp both drew from an ancient source, or Sharp authored his own and Rutter took from the nineteenth-century prayer, it is part of the Celtic tradition, because Sharp was a key player in the Celtic Revival, a resurgence of interest in Celtic spirituality and all things Gaelic which began in the late nineteenth century and continues to this day.

In The Dominion of Dreams, the main character is facing an amadana fairy from Irish folkloreand offers this prayer to subdue it. (Note that in the phrase Yellow Shepherd, yellow means lucky; and haughty in Haughty Father means lofty or most high, without the negative connotation it carries today.) Deep peace I breathe into you, O weariness, here: O ache, here! Deep peace, a soft white dove to you; Deep peace, a quiet rain to you; Deep peace, an ebbing wave to you! Deep peace, red wind of the east from you; Deep peace, grey wind of the west to you; Deep peace, dark wind of the north from you; Deep peace, blue wind of the south to you! Deep peace, pure red of the flame to you; Deep peace, pure white of the moon to you; Deep peace, pure green of the grass to you; Deep peace, pure brown of the earth to you; Deep peace, pure grey of the dew to you, Deep peace, pure blue of the sky to you! Deep peace of the running wave to you, Deep peace of the flowing air to you, Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, Deep peace of the sleeping stones to you! Deep peace of the Yellow Shepherd to you, Deep peace of the Wandering Shepherdess to you, Deep peace of the Flock of Stars to you, Deep peace from the Son of Peace to you, Deep peace from the heart of Mary to you, And from Briget of the Mantle Deep peace, deep peace! And with the kindness too of the Haughty Father Peace! In the name of the Three who are One, Peace! And by the will of the King of the Elements, Peace! Peace! Peace between Neighbors Peace between neighbors, Peace between kindred. Peace between lovers, In love of the King of life. Peace between person and person, Peace between wife and husband, Peace between woman and children, The peace of Christ above all peace. Bless, O Christ, my face, Let my face bless every thing; Bless, O Christ, mine eye, Let mine eye bless all its sees. There Will Be Peace If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.

If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world. So let it be! You Are the Peace This first-millennium Celtic prayer has been used many times in traditional hymns and contemporary worship. You are the peace of all things calm You are the place to hide from harm You are the light that shines in dark You are the hearts eternal spark You are the door thats open wide You are the guest who waits inside You are the stranger at the door You are the calling of the poor You are my Lord and with me still You are my love, keep me from ill You are the light, the truth, the way You are my Saviour this very day. The Rock of Rocks Air Carraig nan al, Sith Pheadail is Phail, Sheumais is Eoin na baigh, Is na lan ionraic Oigh, Na lan ionraic Oigh.