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Samhain Liturgy
Let's just spend a moment or two in quietness:
Yours is the day, yours also the night; you established the luminaries and the sun. You have fixed all the bounds of the earth; you made summer and winter.
(Psalm 74:16-17) |
In the fading of the summer sun,
the shortening of days, cooling breeze,
swallows' flight and moonlight rays
A. WE SEE THE CREATOR'S HAND
In the browning of leaves once green,
morning mists, autumn chill,
fruit that falls frost's first kiss
A. WE SEE THE CREATOR'S HAND
Creator God, forgive our moments of ingratitude,
the spiritual blindness that prevents us
from appreciating the wonder that is this world,
the endless cycle of nature,
of life and death and rebirth.
Forgive us for taking without giving
reaping without sowing.
Open our eyes to see
our lips to praise
our hands to share
and may our feet tread lightly on the road.
| Listen to the profound words of the French novelist Albert Camus, and just think about them for a moment : 'Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower' |
Here a song, chant or hymn might be sung
We see signs of summer's passing in golden leaves,
shortening days, misty mornings, autumn glow.
We sense its passing in rain that dampens,
winds that chill, Harvest's bounty placed on show.
Creator God, who brings forth
both green shoot and hoar frost,
sunrise and sunset,
we bring our thanks
for seeds that have grown,
harvests gathered,
storehouses filled,
mouths fed.
And, as your good earth rests
through winter's cold embrace,
we look forward to its re-awakening
when kissed by Spring's first touch.
For summer's passing
and harvest home
A. WE THANK YOU
For autumn's splendour
and winter's chill
A. WE THANK YOU
For seed that has fallen
the promise of spring
A. WE THANK YOU
As a part of nature's wondrous cycle
Of new birth, growth, fruitfulness and death
We rejoice in the creation of new life,
For parenthood, the passing on of knowledge,
For understanding and the wisdom of years.
We are grateful for those who have gone before
Passing on to us our spiritual heritage.
May our lives blossom as the apple tree in Spring
May we become fruitful in thought and deed
And may the seed of love that falls to the ground
Linger beyond our time on this earth.
St. Francis of Assisi wrote these wise words: 'Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…but only what you have given' The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap... (Psalm 92:12ff) |
For fruitfulness
A. WE THANK YOU
For a generous spirit
A. WE THANK YOU
For wisdom and faith
A. WE THANK YOU
For old age and new birth
A. WE THANK YOU
For those who have gone before us
Seeds planted in your rich pasture
With the hope of life eternal
May their enduring spirit live on
Enriching and empowering our lives
Their love linger
Their presence be near
Until we meet once more.
'The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power' (1 Cor 15:42-43) |
For your embracing love
A Father's love
A Mother's love
The love that sees our failings
And forgives us
The love that sees our joys
And embraces us
The love that knows no end
or beginning
A love that could die for us
We bless you.
A. WE BLESS YOU
We bless you, God of Seed and Harvest
And we bless each other
That the beauty of this world
And the love that created it
Might be expressed though our lives
And be a blessing to others
Now and always
A. AMEN
thanx to John Birch at Christian Prayers and Resources
Origin:Samhain is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature. Many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter. In much of the Gaelic world, bonfires were lit and there were rituals involving them, as at Beltane. Samhain was seen as a time when the "door" to the Otherworld opened enough for the souls of the dead, and other beings, to come into our world.
graphic: bc
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