Columbanus (543- 615)

Cloumbanus born in 543 at Nobber, County Meath, is perhaps the first of the classic Irish archetypes - the exile who travels overseas, lives a rich and full life yet constantly longs for his native shore.

His biographer Jonas of Bibbio tells us that he was a handsome lad who fleeing youthful temptation sought out Sinell, Abbot of Cluaninis in Lough Erne as a soul friend. Under Sinell's instruction, Columbanus composed a commentary on the Psalms.

Eventually he moved to the recently established monastery in Bangor and under abbot Comgall embraced the monastic life. Around the age of 40 Columbanus felt God was calling him to bring the Gospel to far away lands. Intially his intention desire was ignored by his community at Bangor, but after much persistence consent was given.

In 590 Columbanus with a group of twelve set sail for Brittany. He travelled across France, and with the support of the Frankish king Childebert, he founded a small monastery at Annegray The abott and his monks led the simplest of lives. Every where they went people were struck by their humble and Christ like character.

Eventually his relationship with the royal family grew frosty and after a twenty year sojourn was forced to leave France with a band of brothers.

In his sixties he founded a monastery in the wild Apline edges of what is now Switzerland and then set out down the Rhine. Eventually he headed over the Alps into Northern Italy, leaving behind his old companion Gall to continue founding communities.Well received at the royal court in Milan Columbanus was given permission to found a monastery in Bobbio, in the Appenines south west of Piacenza.

Jonas recalls Columbanus carrying huge wooden beams as he worked to restore the ruined church he'd been given. By this time in his seventies his health began to fail. He died in Novenber 615, around a year after he'd arrived in Italy.

Within 50 years of his death there were over 100 foundations with ties to Columbanus's hub communities in Luxeuil and Bibbio. He also left behind an invaluable collection of his writings, including letters, sermons and monastic rules.

The collapse of the Roman Empire, the invasion of barbarians, and the state of the cultural and religious life at the time left a spiritual void in Europe that was ripe for such a band of preacher monks. Lead by Columbanus they cut a swath through France Switzerland Austria Germany and Italy, establishing celtic style monastic communities. Transforming Europe as they went.

Quotable Lewis

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.

Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.

Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours.

If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

Eros will have naked bodies; Friendship naked personalities.

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.

You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.

Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)

Clive Staple Lewis was born in Belfast. His father was a solicitor. His mother a clergymans daughter died while Lewis was still a child.

He was an academic in Oxford who taught english at Magdalen College. In Suprised By Joy Lewis tells of his journey from atheism to faith. Deeply influenced by myth and story he recognized the existence of God in 1929 and came to embrace Christ in 1931.

He was a brilliant Christian apologist. Mere Christianity made theology practical and accessable for the common person at a time when scepticisim and modernisim were rampent in society the church.

He along with dear freind J R Tolkien, Charles Williams and others formed the Inklings. Lewis considered the 19th century Scottish pastor and writer George MacDonald his mentor. The Chronicles of Narnia along with His Scifi Trilogy have opened many to the awe, wonder, joy and love of the One "Who is the fullfilment of all myth and legend".

In mid life he meet and married Joy Davidson an american divorcee' with two young sons. Her premature death devisatated him promting Lewis to go much deeper in faith. A Grief Observed chronicles this journey. Lewis died on the same day as J. F. Kennedy and Bertrum Russell, Nov. 22nd 1963

for more info about C S Lewis and a bibliography go to

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/cslewis.htm

for a short Lewis bio, quotes and trivia check out
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507000/bio

Celtic Advent Liturgy

 



















Can be done on advent Sundays or at community gatherings during advent

Opening Responses
Reader:
We are a people waiting in darkness

ALL:
LORD OPEN OUR EYES TO THE COMING OF YOUR LIGHT. EMMANUEL GOD WITH US LIFTING THE BURDEN OF DARKNESS FROM OUR LIVES.

Reader:
We are a people who's hearts are chilled by sin and selfishness

ALL:
LORD OPEN OUR HEARTS TO THE WARMTH OF YOUR COMING. EMMANUEL GOD WITH US MELT THE HARDNESS THAT KEEPS US FROM LOVING YOU AND EACH OTHER.

Reader:
We are a people branches, stems crumpled under weight of frost - last year’s leaves - blackened and slippery underfoot -gripped in winters death, yet awaiting rebirth.

ALL:
LORD OPEN OUR HEARTS TO EMMANUEL GOD WITH US, RENEW IN OUR HEARTS YOUR CALL TO NEW LIFE.

Scripture Reading: usually from the Gospel / or a Messianic promise

Musical Response:

Celtic Litany of Praise:


Reader:
Gathering in this place where heaven and earth whisper greeting; In this place where the High King of Heaven comes to meet us; We await the coming Hope. We join our faith with the Host of Saints who have gone before us, and we rejoice.

ALL: O COME O COME EMMANUEL
AND RANSOM CAPTIVE ISREAL
THAT MOURNS IN LONLEY EXILE HERE
UNTIL THE SON OF GOD APPEARS


At this point, we are invited to speak the Name(s) of the coming Emmanuel and light candles of Advent Hope. (eg. Prince of Peace; Rose of Sharon; etc.)

Silence
(During the Silence, you may like to read and reflect on the words of the song, gaze at the candles - or simply enjoy the peace and calm of the Prayer.)

Intercessions (each prayer can be recieved by the community by repeating : "Lord Hear our Prayer" or "Through our lives and prayers thy Kingdom come"
Song / Hymn

Closing Responses

Reader:

We take the light of our prayer into the world

ALL:

TO PRAY FOR THOSE UNABLE TO PRAY; TO OFFER OURSELVES AS ANSWERS TO PRAYER.

Reader:

We take the light of your compassion into the world;

ALL:

TO COME ALONGSIDE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED AND SUFFERING. MAY WE BE AS CHRIST FOR THEM.

Reader

We take the light of God's power into the world;

ALL:

GOD'S STRENGTH MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.

Reader:

God enters the world as a tiny babe, takes on a frame of flesh, Emmanuel God with us- That we might see the love of the Father through the Son, The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, dying that we might live, leading that we may follow.

ALL:

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Reader

Until we gather again in the presence of the Sacred Three in One

ALL

MAY WE BE HELD FIRM IN THE GRIP OF GRACE.

AMEN

Closing Song

compiled from various sources



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Celtic Advent begins

a short liturgy to be prayed each evening of Advent up until the 17th of December
Can be accompanied by the lighting of an advent candle.

* God of the watching ones,
give us Your benidiction.

* God of the waiting ones,
give us your good word for our souls

*God of the watching ones
the slow and the suffering ones
give us Your benidiction,
Your good word for our souls
that we might rest.

* God of the watching ones,
the waiting ones,
the slow and the suffering ones,

* and the angels in heaven,

* and the child in the womb,

give us your benidiction,
your good word for our souls,
that we might rest and rise
in the kindness of your company

* indicates a change in reader
bold types to be repeated together

taken from Celtic Daily Prayer of the Northumbria Community


see Celtic Advent Litug

Hilda of Whitby (614-80)

Hilda was the great niece of King Edwin of Northumbria. She was baptized at age 13 by Paulinus and became an nun at age 20. She was urged by Aidan to live out her vocation in her birthplace.

After founding a small community at Wearmouth she be came Abbess at Hartel pool.

In AD 657, Abbess Hilda had founded a double monastery of both monks and nuns at Whitby (Streoneshall) and here she finally settled

Hilda was a patroness of the arts, including her former cowherd, the poet, St. Caedmon. She herself was a notable teacher, whose advice was sought by Kings and Abbots alike; while her monastery became famed as a center of learning. It trained at least five bishops.

In AD 664, she played hostess to the famous Synod of Whitby at which the path of the Northumbrian Church was debated.

She died November 17th 680 at Whitby, after a long and painful illness lasting some six years.

Advent (1)

Advent comes from the Latin Advenio "to come" the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. The coming of the saviour, the birth of Emmanuel, God with us.

In Eastern Orthodox churches — where it is also called the Nativity Fast, Winter Lent, or the Christmas Lent — it lasts forty days, beginning on November 17. The Celtic tradition coincides with the beginging of the Eastern Orthodox celibration of advent.

In Western Christianity, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The earliest Advent can begin is November 27 and the latest is December 3.

Advent ends on December 24 before the Vigil of Christmas (the evening of December 24).

In the evening instead of our compline before retiring we light our advent candle and and recite an advent prayer. Starting the last week of advent, the 17th of December we begin the traditional last week evening prayer.

for more general info on Advent go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent

for a Protestant prospective on Advent
http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html

for more info on Celtic Advent and Advent traditions go to

http://www.prayerfoundation.org/advent.htm

photo by b culver

Martin of Tours (316-97)

Martin was born around 316 to pagan parents. His father was a soldier, who enlisted Martin in the army at the age of fifteen.

He recieved a discharge from the army of Rome to become a monk.A community grew up around him in France. Whole areas were transformed by teams of his followers who went out among the people doing good works coupled with the good news of the Gospel.

In 371 he was elected bishop of Tours. His was a mainly pagan diocese, but his instruction and personal manner of life prevailed. In one instance, the pagan priests agreed to fell their idol, a large fir tree, if Martin would stand directly in the path of its fall. He did so, and it missed him very narrowly. When an officer of the Imperial Guard arrived with a batch of prisoners who were to be tortured and executed the next day, Martin intervened and secured their release.

Martin was a hermit than a monastic in the tradition of the Desert Fathers. With his communities we have the beginings of a missionary monastic movement that was to characterize early Esetic and Celtic Christianity

The Feast of Martin falls on the Armistice ( rememberance day)which marked the end of the First World War. On it we remember those who have risked or lost their lives in what they perceived as the pursuit of justice and peace.

All Saints Day

All Saints Day is when the Church commemorates all the known and unknown followers of Christ who have gone before us.. The eve of All Saints is known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. All Saints Day is November 1. Remembering saints and martyrs and dedicating a specific day to them each year has been a Christian tradition since the 4th century AD. It is a time to acknoledge those who are now part of the great cloud of wittnesses who along with the host of heaven cheer us on and encourage us to live faithfull lives.

Hebrews 12:1-2, 22-23