Holy Companions: Spiritual Practices from the Celtic Saints - Softcover

Maddox, Sylvia; Earle, Mary C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0819219932 ISBN 13: 9780819219930

Publisher: Morehouse Publishing, 2004

Synopsis

The Celtic tradition continues to captivate readers. Centuries old, it seems to speak to the modern world with a fresh voice. In Holy Companions, readers are invited to get to know and journey with eighteen Celtic saints. The authors have provided a theme inspired by each saint, along with a brief biography, a reflection on what the saint's life and words may mean to us today, and some spiritual exercises and practices that grow out of that life and work.

Written accessibly, this is an excellent book for individual exploration or group study.

About this title

About the Authors

Sylvia Maddox is a popular retreat leader who regularly teaches in the areas of prayer and spirituality.

Mary C. Earle is a poet, author, and spiritual director, who taught at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. She has written ten books about spirituality. Her titles include Marvelously Made, Days of Grace, The Desert Mothers, and Broken Body, Healing Spirit. She resides in San Antonio, Texas.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

HOLY COMPANIONS

Spiritual Practices from the Celtic Saints

By Mary C. Earle, Sylvia Maddox

Church Publishing Incorporated

Copyright © 2004 Mary C. Earle and Sylvia Maddox
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8192-1993-0

Contents

Introduction...............................................................
1
Meditations................................................................
1. Saint Patrick: The Encompassing Presence of Christ......................
13
2. Saint Brigit: Soul Friendship...........................................
19
3. Saint Non of Wales: Holy Mothering......................................
27
4. Saint David of Wales: Community.........................................
33
5. Saint Columba: Christian Vision.........................................
39
6. Saint Melangell of Wales: A Place of Refuge.............................
45
7. Saint Ninian of Whithorn: Pioneer in the Faith..........................
51
8. Saint Kevin of Glendalough: Care of Creation............................
57
9. Saint Ita: The Wisdom of the Indwelling Spirit..........................
65
10. Saint Brendan the Navigator: Holy Journeying...........................
71
11. Saint Illtyd of Wales: Perseverance....................................
77
12. Saint Winefride of Wales: Wounds and Healing...........................
83
13. Saint Aidan: Generosity................................................
89
14. Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne: Holy Gentleness.........................
95
15. Saint Hilda of Whitby: Encouragement...................................
103
16. Saint Samthann of Ireland: Praying in All Ways.........................
109
17. Saint Ciaran of Ireland: Trust in God..................................
117
18. Saint Columbanus of Ireland: A Passion for God.........................
123
Works Cited................................................................
131
Further Reading............................................................
133

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Saint Patrick:The EncompassingPresence of Christ

Theme: In Patrick's life, we are given the example of a person whocomes to know Christ's presence in every human circumstance.

Opening prayer:

    My Christ! my Christ! my shield, my encircler,
    Each day, each night, each light, each dark;
    My Christ! my Christ! my shield, my encircler,
    Each day, each night, each light, each dark.
    Be near me, uphold me, my treasure, my triumph,
    In my lying, in my standing, in my watching, in my
      sleeping.
    Jesu, Son of Mary! my helper, my encircler,
    Jesu, Son of David! my strength everlasting;
    Jesu, Son of Mary! my helper, my encircler,
    Jesu, Son of David! my strength everlasting.

      (Carmina Gadelica, pp. 212–13)

About Patrick

Born about the year 390, Patrick became the patron saint ofIreland. His life in Christ, however, began rather inauspiciously.His father was an ordained deacon, and his grandfather was apriest, but Patrick was not a particularly observant Christian.He had been baptized, he had learned some prayers, and hehad lived in a Christian household, yet as an adolescent Patrickfelt no real bond to the living faith of the Christian church.Though he held the faith of his parents at arm's length, he nodoubt absorbed more than he realized.

Then at the age of sixteen, violence interrupted Patrick'slife. Irish slave traders kidnapped the young man. They soldhim as a slave to a petty Irish king, who forced him to work asa shepherd slave. We know from Patrick's own hand, in thewords of his Confession, that this existence was harsh. Gonewere the safety of hearth and home and the stable connectionsof kin and friend.

During this time young Patrick began to pray the prayersthat he had learned when he was younger. The words began tocome alive. There in that wild country, with lashing rain andfearsome wind, Patrick was embraced by the living Christ; hebegan to know the prayers as more than words, the belief asmore than doctrine.

One night Patrick heard a voice telling him that a ship waswaiting for him. After six years of praying, waiting, and longing,Patrick acted on the voice's instruction. He set out on foot, arunaway slave, relying on the compass of his heart to lead himto the boat promised by God.

Upon his arrival in the south of Ireland, Patrick did indeedfind a boat preparing to depart. At first the captain refused hispassage, so Patrick went to the hut where he was staying andbegan to pray. Later a crewman came out and bid Patrick to geton the boat. Patrick's journey home had begun.

Patrick tells us that when he reached home, he received yetanother vision, this of a man named Victoricus, who came fromIreland bearing letters. Patrick opened one of the letters andbegan to read, and as he did, he heard "the voice of the Irish"pleading with him, "We ask thee, boy, come and walk among usonce more" (MacDonald, Saint Patrick, pp. 35–36). Patrick hadescaped slavery and made his way home, only to receive a pleafrom those who had enslaved him. He was called to be one ofGod's reconcilers.

He once again left his home, his family, and his friends, butthis time he freely chose to depart for Ireland. He made theconscious decision to go to the people who had captured andenslaved him, Having found and been found by Christ in timesof deepest fear, estrangement, and trial, Patrick knew Christwould be with him every step of the way; the wisdom he gainedin slavery and hardship never left him. His mission to the Irishwas unique in history. No blood was shed. No martyrs wereslain. He came to his Irish enslavers as friend and reconciler,calling them to recognize the Lord through whom they hadbeen created.

Pause: Reflect on a time when you were away from home andfamily and you experienced Christ's presence.

Patrick's Words

I saw Him praying in me, and I was as it were within mybody, and I heard Him above me, that is, over theinward man, and there He prayed mightily with groanings.And all the time I was astonished, and wondered,and thought with myself who it could be that prayed inme. But at the end of the prayer He spoke, saying thatHe was the Spirit.

(MacDonald, Saint Patrick, p. 36)

Reflection

The tradition of the lorica, or breastplate prayer, is closely tiedto Saint Patrick. (Lorica is the Latin word used for the breastplateof a Roman soldier's armor.) A lorica prayer allows one tocall on the presence of Christ, in whom "all things hold together"(Colossians 1:17).

"Saint Patrick's Breastplate" has been translated intoEnglish many times. This excerpt is taken from a version byIrish scholar Noel Dermott O'Donohue:

    For my shield this day I call:
    Christ's power in his coming
    and in his baptising,
    Christ's power in his dying
    On the cross, his arising
    from the tomb, his ascending;
    Christ's power in his coming
    for judgment and ending.

    (Mackey, p. 47)

• Sit quietly and comfortably. Pray the words of the breastplate.Imagine the shield of Christ encircling you. What doyou feel?

• Take a moment to remember the times when Christ hasshielded you. Write them down. Offer thanksgiving for eachinstance of shielding. Pray for those who need to be shieldedfrom harm, from danger, from violence.

• Another verse of Patrick's breastplate leads us to claimChrist's all-pervading presence:

    Christ beside me, Christ before me;
    Christ behind me, Christ within me;
    Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
    Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;
    Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising;
    Christ in heart of all who know me,
    Christ on tongue of all who meet me,
    Christ in eye of all who see me,
    Christ in ear of all who hear me.

    (Mackey, p. 48)

Pray this prayer as you take a walk, as you go about yourdaily work, as you drive. (You may want to write it on asmall card.) This is a prayer that is very portable; it is to beprayed while we are on the way. Allow the prayer to accompanyyou wherever you go.

At the end of the day, make note of when and where theprayer helped you to perceive Christ's presence in youractivities, in those whom you encountered, in a challengingsituation. Practice this way of praying for several days.What changes do you notice in your perception? How doyou feel about those changes?

God's Word

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not knowhow to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighstoo deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows whatis the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for thesaints according to the will of God.

(Romans 8:26–27)

Closing prayer: Gracious Lord Jesus Christ, I am thanking youin my lying down and in my rising up, in my waking and in mysleeping, in my speaking and in my working. May my life andthe lives of all I meet be filled with your radiant presence.Amen.

CHAPTER 2

Saint Brigit:Soul Friendship

Theme: Brigit, by her compassion and spiritual wisdom, embodiesthe Celtic tradition of soul friendship. Her concern for thosein need and the generosity of her listening heart remind us thatGod is very near when we are in the company of a true soulfriend. Such relationships transcend both time and place.

Opening prayer:

    Every day and every night
    That I say the genealogy of Bride,
    I shall not be killed, I shall not be harried,
    I shall not be put in cell, I shall not be wounded,
    Neither shall Christ leave me in forgetfulness.

    (Carmina Gadelica, p. 81)

About Brigit

From the beginning of her life, Brigit, also known as Bride orBrigid and as Ffraid in Wales, was touched by God. She wasborn of a king and a slave around the year 452, and is said tohave been raised by a teacher who saw in her a radiant daughterwho would shine like the sun among the stars of heaven.From an early age, Brigit showed compassion for the poor anda generous responsiveness to those in need. The fire of theHoly Spirit appeared to accompany her wherever she traveled;numerous stories tell of a flame of fire that others would seeabout her head. When Brigit went forward to receive the veil ofreligious life, the fire of the Holy Spirit seemed to be with her.As she knelt to receive the veil, the bishop said the words ofordination for a bishop, and when his assistant protested thatsuch a prayer should not be said over a woman, the bishopreplied: "No power have I in this matter. That dignity has beengiven by God unto Brigid, beyond every other woman"(MacDonald, Saint Bride, p. 27).

Brigit took this blessing and founded the great monasteryat Kildare. (Kildare means "church of the oak" in old Irish.) Hereboth men and women received her guidance and leadership asabbess and soul friend. She was recognized in all of Ireland asone aflame with the intensity of Christ's love for the poor. Herspiritual discernment was manifest in seeing even the smallestneeds of another's body and soul. Many stories recount howshe healed the wretched, the foolish, and the weak. From theoral tradition we learn that Brigit declared, "It is in the name ofChrist I feed the poor, for Christ is in the body of every poorperson." She practiced a ministry of Christian hospitality, welcomingone and all in the name of Christ.

Because she was fostered by another family and nurturedas a Christian, Brigit had a distinctly Irish perspective onfriendship. She honored and lived out the tradition of having ananam cara, or soul friend. Her life was typified by a profoundsense of Christ's friendship with us, a sense that is foundationalto Christian soul friendship.

From Celtic tradition we receive the story that one ofBrigit's own foster sons came to spend time with her at Kildare.While he was there, Brigit knew in prayer that her foster son'ssoul friend had suddenly died. She counseled him and advisedhim to find a new soul friend quickly.

In the Irish tradition, the earthly soul friend was alwaysaccompanied by heavenly soul friends. Those holy souls whohad entered the gates of eternity were perceived to be alive inChrist and readily accessible to those on earth. In prayer, onecould ask that the saintly presences, whose lives had beenicons of the life of the risen Lord, be our protectors, guides, andintercessors. Because the soul friends of the community ofsaints were always present to the faithful, Christians were perceivedas being never alone, no matter what the circumstances.

One of the most significant traditions about Brigit depicts heras the midwife and nursemaid at the birth of Jesus. To the Irish,Brigit abides in eternity; this seemingly fanciful belief reveals aperception that Brigit's way of caring and ministering werelearned at the manger, amid the oxen and the cattle. She is seenas the companion of the Holy Family, as Mary's trusted friend andaid-woman, and as the kind and faithful nurse to the Christ Child.

There is truth in the story, for Brigit lived her life encounteringthe human family as the Holy Family, and her sisters atKildare as fellow nursemaids of Jesus. This tradition of Brigit asthe nursemaid of Christ continues to this day in Ireland,Scotland, and Wales, and reminds us that the Holy Family isalways in our midst.

Pause: Reflect on what a soul friend means to you.

Brigit's Words

"Anyone without a soul friend is like a body without ahead." (Sellner, p. 73)

Reflection

The tradition of anam cara, or soul friendship, is closely tied tothe Celtic saints, especially Saint Brigit. She was known to haveguided both men and women in their spiritual journey. A wisesoul friend such as Brigit served as a mentor and a guide, butmost of all as a companion along the way. One recognizes asoul friend by the hospitality she or he offers in accepting one'sdeepest thoughts and aspirations. With a soul friend, one feelsat home not only in this world but also in the greater world ofspirit. The soul friend honors the secrets of the heart andgently nudges one's dreams into being.

It is in soul friendship that one discovers the presence ofChrist. When Jesus says that whenever two or three are gatheredin his name, he will be with them, we see the true meaningof soul friendship.

Soul friendship can extend beyond geographic time andspace. A soul friend may be someone we encounter in our readingor in our prayer. Brigit herself continues to minister tothose who seek her companionship and guidance. She is especiallya soul friend to those who seek to make holy the ordinarytasks of daily life.

• Spend some time remembering the soul friends who haveappeared in your life. What gifts have they given you? Takesome time and write those friends a note expressing gratitudefor their gifts.

• Remember a time when you felt without a soul friend. Whatwas happening at this time of your life? Where did you go forcompanionship? What lessons did you learn about yourself?

• Sometimes we are called to be a soul friend to someoneseeking guidance. Who do you feel is calling you to be asoul friend? Which of the following qualities do you feel youcould offer? In which area do you desire more growth?

• compassion

• truthfulness

• humility

• prayerfulness

• wisdom

• generosity

• In the Celtic understanding of time, one lives in both thepresent and in eternity. Saint Brigit, in her vocation ofshowing mercy in the love of Christ, was often pictured asthe nursemaid of Jesus, present in spirit to help both Maryand Jesus in their times of need.

• Imagine yourself being present at the birth of Christ.

• Imagine Mary and Joseph as they attend to theChrist Child.

• Picture the shepherds and any other visitors as theyenter the stable.

• Watch the donkey and the sheep as they sleeppeacefully.

• Where are you in this scene? What is your relationshipto the Christ Child?

• Saint Brigit has often been considered a soul friend bythose who tend to the domestic tasks of living. Many of theprayers collected in the Carmina Gadelica demonstrate theblessing of being among Brigit's companions.

    I am under the shielding
    Of good Brigit each day;
    I am under the shielding
    Of good Brigit each night.
    I am under the keeping
    Of the Nurse of Mary,
    Each early and late,
    Every dark, every light.
    Brigit is my comrade-woman,
    Brigit is my maker of song,
    Brigit is my helping-woman,
    My choicest of women, my guide.

    (Carmina Gadelica, p. 239)

What soul friend accompanies you each day and eachnight, in your work and in your leisure? Write a prayerabout such a friend in the style of the Celtic prayer above.

God's Word

You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not callyou servants any longer, because the servant does not know whatthe master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I havemade known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.

(John 15:14–15)

Closing prayer: I give you thanks, most gracious God, for callingme into friendship with you and for giving me soul friends ascompanions along the way. Grant me the wisdom, grace, andmercy to be a soul friend to others, for your mercy's sake. Amen.

CHAPTER 3

Saint Non of Wales:Holy Mothering

Theme: Saint Non of Wales was dedicated to holy mothering andto the continuing birth of new communities and new life in maturity.Her presence with us in prayer also helps us to discern whenit is time to let go of those we have mothered and begin a newphase of our life.

Opening prayer:

There is a mother's heart in the heart of God.

(Reith, p. 5)

About Non

Much beloved by the people of Wales, Saint Non was the motherof Saint David, the patron saint of that country. Because of her caringand nurturing ways with David, Non is seen as a holy mother.Her strong mothering of David led to a strong church in Wales,and she is regarded as the holy mother of the Welsh church.

Non's story begins with the violent disruption of her life.Beautiful, of royal lineage, a maiden of Christian devotion andfaithfulness, Non drew the attention of Sanctus, a king of theregion in which she lived. Sanctus was seized by lust at thesight of Non. He overpowered her, dishonored her, and rapedher. In this act of violence, David was conceived. According tothe traditional accounts, the earth itself responded to David'sconception: two standing stones came forth from the earth,one at Non's head and one at her feet. Creation itself recognizedthat a saintly child would come forth from Non's womb.

During her pregnancy, with new life swelling within her,Non continued to live a holy life dedicated to the living God. Inthe ascetic tradition of the Celtic saints, she lived on bread andwater, prayed, and trusted that the child within her, thoughsavagely conceived, would be a gift for her people. One day,hungry for a word of the gospel, she went to hear a preacher ina local church. As she entered the sanctuary, the preacherfound himself unable to speak. He dismissed the congregationand tried to discern what caused his sudden inability topreach. Non, in the meantime, hid in the church, hoping to feedon the living Word should the preacher begin again. He triedonce more to preach, but could do no more than speak conversationally.In fear and frustration, he bid that if anyone werehiding in the sanctuary, she or he should come forth. Non said,"I am hiding here," and emerged from hiding. He asked her todepart, and she did. The congregation entered the church oncemore, and the preacher was able to preach. It was evident thatthe child she was bearing was of God, and that the child's presencewas more powerful than the preacher's voice.

(Continues...)

(Continues...)

Excerpted from HOLY COMPANIONS by Mary C. Earle, Sylvia Maddox. Copyright © 2004 by Mary C. Earle and Sylvia Maddox. Excerpted by permission of Church Publishing Incorporated.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Morehouse Publishing
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0819219932
• ISBN 13: 9780819219930
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 128