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Post by andi on Oct 18, 2005 18:41:05 GMT 10
St Patrick's Breastplate
Christ as a light Illumine and guide me Christ as a shield O'ershadow me Christ under me Christ over me Christ beside me On my left and my right This day be within and without me Lowly and meek yet All-powerful Be in the heart Of each to whom I speak In the mouth of each Who speaks unto me This day be within and Without me Lowly and meek yet All-powerful Christ as a light Christ as a shield Christ beside me On my left and my right. Amen
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Post by andi on Oct 18, 2005 18:41:49 GMT 10
Eternal light, shine in our hearts; Eternal goodness, deliver us from evil; Eternal power, be our support; Eternal wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance; Eternal pity, have mercy upon us; That with all our hearts and mind and soul and strength We may seek thy face And be brought by thine infinite mercy To thy holy presence Through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
-Alcuin-
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Post by andi on Oct 18, 2005 18:42:27 GMT 10
God be with thee in every pass, Jesus be with thee on every hill Spirit be with thee on every stream, headland and ridge and lawn; Each sea and land, each moor and meadow, Each lying down, each rising up, In the trough of the waves, on the crest of the billows, Each step of the journey thou goest.
-Carmina Gadelica-
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Post by andi on Oct 18, 2005 18:45:20 GMT 10
Communion with God
My child, it is not necessary to know much to please Me; it is sufficient to love much. Speak to Me as thou would'st to a mother, if she drew thee near to her. Are there any for whom thou would'st pray to Me? Repeat to Me the names of thy relations, thy friends; after each name add what thou would'st have Me do for them. Ask much, ask much; I love generous souls who forget themselves for others.
Tell me of the poor whom thou would'st relieve, the sick whom thou hast seen suffer, the sinners thou would'st have converted, those who are alienated from thee, whose affection thou would regain. Are there graces thou would'st ask for thyself? Write, if thou wilt, a long list of all thou desirest, of all the needs of thy soul, and come and read it to Me.
Tell Me simply how proud thou art, how sensitive, egotistical, mean and indolent. Poor child, do not blush; there are in heaven many saints who had thy faults; they prayed to me, and , little by little, their faults were corrected. Do not hesitate to ask Me for blessings for the body and mind; for health, memory and success. I can give all things, and I always give when blessings are needed to render souls more holy.
Today, what wilt thou have, My child? If thou knewest how I long to do thee good. Hast thou plans which occupy thee? Lay them all before me. Dost thou wish to give pleasure to thy mother, to thy family, to those on whom thou dost depend? What would'st thou for them? And for Me? Hast thou no zealous thought for Me? Dost thou not wish to do a little good to the souls of thy friends, who have perhaps forgotten Me?
Bring me all thy failures and I shall show thee the cause of them. Hast thou no troubles? Who has caused thee pain? Tell me all, and by and by thou wilt finish by adding that thou wilt pardon, thou wilt not hold it close; and I will bless thee. Dost thou dread something painful? Is there in thy heart a vain fear which is not reasonable, but which is tormenting? Trust thyself wholly to Me. I am here. I see everything. I will not leave thee.
Hast thou not joys to make known to me? Why dost thou not let me share in thy happiness? Tell me what has happened since yesterday, to cheer and console thee. An unexpected visit which did thee good; a fear suddenly dissipated; a success thou knowest thou should'st not reach; a mark of affection, a letter, a gift, which thou hast received; I have prepared it all for thee without need for thanks.
Art thou resolved no longer to expose thyself to this temptation? not to finish this book which excited thy imagination? no longer, to give thy friendship to a person who is not godly and whose presence disturbs the peace of thy soul? Wilt thou go at once to do a kindness to this companion who has hurt thee?
Well, My child, go now, take up thy work, be silent, humble, kind: and coming back tomorrow, bring me a heart still more loving. Tomorrow I shall have more blessings for thee.
-Adapted from an 1896 Scottish Bible by Allan Thornton-
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Post by andi on Nov 24, 2005 7:33:49 GMT 10
Long may your chimney smoke.
-Scottish Blessing-
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Post by andi on Dec 30, 2005 5:25:35 GMT 10
Blessing for the Children
O Thou, to whom to love and be are one, hear my faith-cry for them who are more thine than mine. Give each of them what is best for each. I cannot tell what it is. But Thou knowest. I only ask Thou love them and keep them With the loving and keeping Thou didst Show to Mary's Son and Thine.
-Celtic Blessing-
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Post by andi on Dec 30, 2005 5:26:29 GMT 10
Blessing For Hearth-Keepers
Brighid of the Mantle, encompass us, Lady of the Lambs, protect us, Keeper of the Hearth, kindle us. Beneath your mantle, gather us, And restore us to memory.
Mothers of our mother, Foremothers strong. Guide our hands in yours, Remind us how To kindle the hearth. To keep it bright, To preserve the flame. Your hands upon ours, Our hands within yours, To kindle the light, Both day and night.
The Mantle of Brighid about us, The Memory of Brighid within us, The Protection of Brighid keeping us From harm, from ignorance, from heartlessness. This day and night, From dawn till dark, From dark till dawn.
-Celtic Blessing-
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Post by andi on Dec 30, 2005 5:27:13 GMT 10
Some hae meat, and cannot eat, and some wad eat that want it, but we hae meat, and we can eat, and sae the Lord be thankit.
-Old Scottish Blessing- -Robert Burns-
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Post by andi on Dec 30, 2005 5:29:02 GMT 10
An Old Wedding Blessing
May God be with you and bless you. May you see your children's children. May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward.
May you have - Walls for the wind And a roof for the rain, And drinks bedside the fire Laughter to cheer you And those you love near you, And all that your heart may desire.
-Celtic Blessing-
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Post by andi on Dec 31, 2005 23:12:20 GMT 10
Lorica
The early Celtic church had many 'breastplate prayers', or 'lorica', which declared the surrounding and encompassing of God. Such prayers were not to make God come - He is already there - but to open our eyes to the reality. In breastplate prayers, the person who prays seeks to become aware of what is already a reality.
I bind myself today The power of God to hold and lead His eye to watch, His might to stay His ear to hearken to my need The wisdom of my God to teach His hand to guide His shield to ward The word of God to give me speech His Heavenly Host to be my guard.
-Celtic Blessing from the 4th century, attributed to St. Patrick-
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Post by andi on Dec 31, 2005 23:14:09 GMT 10
A Caim Prayer
The Mighty Three My protection be Encircling me You are around My life, my home Encircling me O Sacred Three The Mighty Three
-Celtic Blessing-
The Celtic Christians had a practice called the 'caim', in which they drew around them a circle.... this was a symbol of the encircling love of God.
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Post by andi on Dec 31, 2005 23:15:13 GMT 10
Blessing Of The Three
The Sacred Three My fortress be Encircling me, Come and be round My hearth, my home.
Fend Thou my kin And every sleeping thing within From scathe, from sin. Thy care our peace Through mid of night To light's release.
-Celtic Blessing-
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