O Christ, will You help me on the wild waves?

I've been meditating on various scriptures relating to water recently, including Noah building the Arc and Peter walking on water. Trusting God can sometimes seem as scary as walking on water or sailing across the ocean in a flimsy coracle! Saint Brendan the Navigator is famous for his courage at sea - his trust, determination and obedience were so strong, that he is said to have been the first person to sail across the Atlantic! I love the faith and humility expressed in this emotive prayer which is attributed to St Brendan:


Shall I abandon, O King of mysteries, the soft comforts of home? 
Shall I turn my back on my native land, and turn my face towards the sea?
Shall I put myself wholly at your mercy, without silver, without a horse, without fame, without honor? 
Shall I throw myself wholly upon You, without sword and shield, without food and drink, without a bed to lie on? 
Shall I say farewell to my beautiful land, placing myself under Your yoke?
Shall I pour out my heart to You, confessing my manifold sins and begging forgiveness, tears streaming down my cheeks? 
Shall I leave the prints of my knees on the sandy beach, a record of my final prayer in my native land?
Shall I then suffer every kind of wound that the sea can inflict? 
Shall I take my tiny boat across the wide sparkling ocean? 
O King of the Glorious Heaven, shall I go of my own choice upon the sea? 
O Christ, will You help me on the wild waves?
(Ascribed to Saint Brendan the Navigator before sailing across the Atlantic.)

Remembering St Brigid (450 - 523AD)

Yesterday was St Brigid's Day. St Brigid is an inspiring women and one mentioned in Celtic Treasure. So I thought I'd share with you a brief description of St Brigid taken from the Northumbria Community's wonderful new website:

St Brigid was inspired by the teaching and preaching of St Patrick from an early age. In her late teens she decided that she wanted to give her life to Christ and to become a nun, much to her father's disapproval. Whatever her father's thoughts of her, Brigid was a generous and deeply faithful woman who could never refuse the poor. She freely gave away her father's possessions, milk and flour to anyone in need. Eventually Brigid's father became so frustrated with her that he decided to sell her to the King. They journeyed to the castle, and while Brigid waited at the castle gates for her father to negotiate with the King, a beggar came along asking for alms. Brigid at once gave him her father's jewel-encrusted sword. On hearing of this the King declared that he could never buy Brigid. 'She's too good for me' he said, 'I could never win her obedience'. Her father realised that the place for Brigid was a convent.

Brigid led a group of women who had also decided to become nuns, and she asked Bishop Mel to bless their taking of the veil. The Bishop saw the Spirit of God descending on Brigid and called her forward. Laying hands on her, he said, 'I have no power in this matter. God has ordained Brigid.' Mel then proceeded to read the rite of consecration for a Bishop over Brigid.

In 470 Brigid founded the Abbey at Kildare, a double monastery for monks and nuns. She became famous for many things, but most of all for her hospitality and welcome.

Brigid's Grace

God bless our food;
God bless our drink. 
And keep our homes and ourselves

in Your embrace, O God.

Amen.

(Click on the link to the Northumbria Community in my Blog List to see their new website and blog.)

Did the Celtic Saints make New Year Resolutions?

I very much doubt that the Celtic Saints made New Year resolutions! But I am convinced that these missionary wanderers had long-term goals and aims - to make Christ known. And were they successful? Spectacularly! Britain would not have been a Christian country without them. St Aidan (pictured holding the torch of the Gospel) and St Cuthbert, for example, from their mission base on Lindisfarne (the monastery), were responsible for spreading the Christian faith across the whole of Britain. 
We have much to learn from those who have gone before us in the faith:

Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls.

(Jeremiah 6:16 NIV)