Monday, May 26, 2008

Bede ( 673? - 735)




Saint Bede also know as the Venerable Bede, was a Benedictine monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth. He is well known as an author and scholar, and his most famous work, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People gained him the title "The father of English history".

His life was externally uneventful. Apparently he travelled little, probably never outside Northumbria. He spent his life primarily occupied with monastic duties and his writing.

A story goes that when Bede was about twelve, a plague visited Jarrow and wiped out all the monks except for him and Abbot Ceolfrith. Piously, the two survivors trained lay brethren to chant in order that the monastery might continue its sung devotion to God. This piety is characteristic of Bede's life, and is exemplified especially in the story of his death.

A moving contemporary account describes how knowing he was soon to pass, Bede pressed forward with his translation of the Gospel of John. He finished it dictating the last sentence to the boy who was his scribe. He spent much time singing antiphons from the Divine Office especially that from Ascension Day. He died singing ‘Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost’.

Friday, May 23, 2008

celtic newborn blessing


We continue to have a number of babes born into our circle of friends and family.


Here is a lovely Celtic Newborn Blessing adapted from the Northumbrian Book of Daily prayer...
The blessing of Christ
comes to your home in this little child
We bless you and pray
Peace of the Son of Peace fill heart and hearth
Now and each hour.
Grow gently little _____________
Christ be near you
Now and each
Day of your Life
In the Name of
God the Father Almighty
Jesus Christ His Son,
The Blessed Holy Spirit
The Sacred Three in One
Amen

Monday, May 19, 2008

.Celtic Communion Gathering


.Celtic Communion Gathering

 Here is a beautiful Celtic communion liturgy we use from time to time in our gatherings. It's been garnered from different sources

words in bold type spoken by all

SINGING : if desired
DECLARATION of FAITH

Facilitator: There is one God
And one mediator between heaven
And earth the man Christ Jesus,
Who gave himself as a ransom for many.

Who ever is on the Lords side,
Let them join with me,
That we may come to the visions of God.
All: Create a clean heart within me, O’ God,
So that it may become your chosen shelter
And the resting place of your Holy Spirit.


May the Everlasting three-fold friendship of God,
Light of lights comes awaken our hearts
That we may live in the power of Your Grace.

Message (Homily)) / or Caim Prayer / open prayer /
ora creed can be read hereAll: Through our lives,
And by our prayers
Thy Kingdom come

THE PEACE:

Facilitator: Deep peace be in your thinking Deep peace be in your hearts Deep peace between you and God’s good earth, Deep peace be between you and your neighbor
Brothers & Sisters, the deep peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
All: and also with you
THE PRESENTATION of the GIFTS:
Gifts of bread and wine may be brought forward

Celebrant: The Lord is with us

All: and His spirit is here

Celebrant: We bless you, High King of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread and wine to offer, which earth has given and hands have made, they will be for us our spiritual food and drink.

All: Blessed be God forever.

Reader: as we bring this bread to you (lift up the bread) Lord of the Elements, we offer up to you our hearts, our energies our labor, our leisure our relationships. Our minds our thoughts, time and talents, all that we create, all that we possess, Our souls, our coming our going, Our strength, our days and nights, our hopes and fears, the day of our birth and the moment of our death, Oh bread and breath of life.

We pour out this wine (pour wine) and offer to you the woes of life poured out. Disappointment, disease, hurt, or handicap As grapes crushed to make this wine so we offer to you all who are crushed by hunger, homelessness, violence or abuse. You who put beam in sun and moon, take all this and transform it into the deep rich wine of everlasting life.

THE THANKS GIVING:

Celebrant: Lift up your hearts

All: We lift them to the Lord

Celebrant: Let us thank the Lord for all He has done
All: Thanks be to God
Celebrant: High King of the Universe, you brought forth the earth: Breathe wisdom into all your creatures till we reflect your three-fold friendship. In our pain and sorrow we cry out to you Lamb of God. Perfect sacrifice for our sins. By the power of your spirit may these gifts of bread and wine be for us Christ’s body and blood, who on the night He was betrayed took bread, gave you thanks, broke it and gave it to His disciples saying “Take eat, this is my body which is broken for you. After supper he took the cup, gave you thanks and said to them “Drink, all of you this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and the many for the forgiveness of sin. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me”

Reader: Alas we have seen the Son of the living God stretched out on a cross.
The human frame plunged into blood, a crown of thorns placed about His head.
Blood flowing freely from His side.
This cross is like the parting of the day from the night
Yet through it, all may now proclaim.
All: Christ has died
Christ has risen
Christ will come again

Celebrant
: Risen Christ we welcome you.
Father send forth your Holy Spirit among your children
Feed us with the bread of heaven
May we become intoxicated with your holiness.
COMMUNION:
Come forward to receive communion

BLESSING & BENIDICTION

Facilitator: Heaven is intertwined with earth. Selah
We have taken divine life into ours. Therefore:
All: I rise up today clothed in the strength of Christ
I go freed to weave Christ’s patterns
I shall not fear
I go loved to serve Christ’s weak ones
I shall not be overwhelmed.
I go armed to rout out Christ’s foes.
I shall not be alone,


Facilitator: The saving streams from the pierced side of Christ cleanse us.
The Sacred Three shield us, protecting us from all that destroys; and lead us,
Always along Christ’s Path.

May the peace of Christ go with us wherever he may send us
May he guide us through the wilderness and protect us from the storm
May He bring us home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown us
May He bring us home rejoicing once again unto His doors?
All: In the name of the Father
And of the Son
And of the Holy Spirit.
The blessed three in one

+ Can cross your self if you wish

AMEN



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Friday, May 16, 2008

St Brendan (486-575)


  Born in Ireland in 486 known as Saint Brendan the Navigator, he is remembered with extreme fondness for his great sea voyages, which captured the hearts and minds of the people his day and many in the ages since. The stories of his voyages read as part travelouge and part spiritual allegory. He was educated by Ita and ordained by Bishop Erc.
There is a wonderful legend of how he and his traveling companions landed on an small isle that turned out to be a great fish that waited paitently for them to complete their celibration of the Holy Euchurist. It is believed he may have made it as far as North America. He was also responsible for establishing several major monastic communites. Particularly Clonfert in Galaway where he was eventually buried.

Sunday, May 4, 2008


I see His Blood Upon the RoseI see his blood upon the rose

And in the stars the glory of his eyes,

His body gleams amid eternal snows,

His tears fall from the skies.
I see his face in every flower;

The thunder and the singing of the birds

Are but his voice, and carven by his power

Rocks are his written words.
All pathways by his feet are worn,

His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,

His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,

His cross is every tree.



Collected Poems were published posthumously in two volumes "The Sword and the Circle" & "Occulta"

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Beltane Blessing

Oh God, bless our flocks and bearing kine;
Hate nor scath let not come near us,
Drive from us the ways of the wicked.

Keep thine eye every Monday and Tuesday
On the bearing kine and the pairing queys;
Accompany us from hill to sea,
Gather thyself the sheep and their progeny.

Every Wednesday and Thursday be with them,
Be thy gracious hand always about them;
Tend the cows down to their stalls,
Tend the sheep down to their folds!

Every Friday be thou, O Saint, at their head,
Lead the sheep from the face of the bens,
With their innocent little lambs following them,
Encompass them with God's encompassing.

Every Saturday be likewise with them,
Bring the goats in with their young,
Every kid and goat to the sea side,
And from the Rock of Aegir on high,
With cresses green about its summit.
The strength of the Triune be our shield in distress,
The strength of Christ, His peace and His Pasch,
The strength of the Spirit, Physician of health,
And of every other saint who succeeded them
And who earned the repose of the kingdom of God.

Bless ourselves and our children,
Bless every one who shall come from our loins,
Bless him whose name we bear,
Bless, O God, her from whose womb we came.

Every holiness, blessing and power,
Be yielded to us every time and every hour,
In name of the Holy Threefold above,
Father, Son, and Spirit everlasting.

Be the Cross of Christ to shield us downward,
Be the Cross of Christ to shield us upward,
Be the Cross of Christ to shield us roundward,
Accepting our Beltane blessing from us,
Accepting our Beltane blessing from us.


Collected in the Highlands of Scotland and
Translated by Alexander Carmichael from the Gaelic
for the Carmina Gadelica

for more info on Beltane