The Prayer of St. Columba

Be a bright flame before me, O God

a guiding star above me.

Be a smooth path below me,

a kindly shepherd behind me

today, tonight, and for ever.

Alone with none but you, my God

I journey on my way;

what need I fear when you are near,

O Lord of night and day?

More secure am I within your hand

than if a multitude did round me stand.

Amen.

My photo of the beach at Iona....

An Iona blessing

May God, who is present

in sunrise and nightfall,

and in the crossing of the sea,

guide your feet as you go.

May God,

who is with you when you sit

and when you stand,

encompass you with love

and lead you by the hand.

May God, who knows your path

and the places where you rest,

be with you in your waiting

be your good news for sharing,

and lead you in the way

that is everlasting.

- A blessing from Iona

My photo of a stone cross on Iona

Ancient Celtic prayer

Be the eye of God dwelling with you, 
The foot of Christ in guidance with you, 
The shower of the Spirit pouring on you, 
Richly and generously. 
God's peace be to you, 
Jesus' peace be to you, 
Spirit's peace be to you 
And to your children, 
Oh to you and to your children, 
Each day and night 
Of your portion in the world. 
- Ancient Celtic prayer

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Irish prayer

Dear Lord,
Give me a few friends who will love me for what I am,
and keep ever burning before my vagrant steps the kindly light of hope…
And though I come not within sight of the castle of my dreams,
teach me to be thankful for life,
and for time’s olden memories that are good and sweet.
And may the evening’s twilight find me gentle still.
- An Irish prayer

Image courtesy of Vlado / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Syrian prayer

May God, the unsearchable abyss of peace, the ineffable sea of love,
the fountain of blessings, and the bestower of affection,
who sends peace to those that receive it,
open to you this day the sea of His love,
and water you with plenteous streams from the riches of His grace.
May God make you a child of quietness, and heir of peace.
May God enkindle in you the fire of His love.
May God strengthen your weakness with His power.
May God bind you and me and everyone else closely to Him and to each other in one firm and indissoluble bond of unity.
- Adapted from a prayer from the Syrian Clementine Liturgy

 Image courtesy of  xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blessing for a summer vacation

Take time to claim your strength;
they are gifts of God.
Take time to have fun;
it’s God’s way of teaching you your strengths.
Take time to grow yourself;
only you can grow you.
Take time to trust yourself;
God trusts you.
Take time to be self-reliant;
it is better than being dependent.
Take time to share with others;
they will bless you, and you will bless them.
Take time to have hope,
you are a child of God.

- Blessing for Summer Vacation (source unknown)

Image "Family" courtesy of arztsamui  / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

An Iona blessing

May God, who is present

in sunrise and nightfall,

and in the crossing of the sea,

guide your feet as you go.

May God,

who is with you when you sit

and when you stand,

encompass you with love

and lead you by the hand.

May God, who knows your path

and the places where you rest,

be with you in your waiting

be your good news for sharing,

and lead you in the way

that is everlasting.

- A blessing from Iona

Photo - Old stone cross on Iona by me

Summer blessing

Blessing of discovery be yours

and blessing of rest.

Blessing of scenery be yours

and blessing of sleep.

Blessing of friends and family be yours

and blessing of solitude.

Blessing of fun be yours

and blessing of thought.

Blessing of change be yours

and blessing of homecoming.

Image "Family" courtesy of arztsamui  / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Apache blessing

May the sun

bring you new energy by day.

May the moon

softly restore you by night.

May the rain

wash away your worries.

May the breeze

blow new strength into your being.

May you walk gently through the world

and know its beauty all the days of your life.

- Apache blessing

Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lebanese Blessing

May love be the gardener of your years 

bringing forth from your grounding in God

a harvest of wholeness and peace,

a bounty of courage and compassion.

May your soul tower with the strength of cedars;

your heart pound with the power of the sea.

May joy rise in you like the mountains

and may it be a blessing you share with those you love,

who this day make merry

that is your the great love of God

has found a home on earth.

- Lebanese blessing

Image courtesy of twobee/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Celtic blessing

The love and affection of heaven be to you,
The love and affection of the saints be to you,
The love and affection of the angels be to you,
The love and affection of the sun be to you,
The love and affection of the moon be to you,
Each day and night of your lives,
To keep you from haters, to keep you from harmers,
To keep you from oppressors.

Carmina Gadelica

Image courtesy of  photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Celtic blessing

"Bless to me, O God

My soul and my body;

Bless to me, O God

My belief and my condition 

Bless to me, O God

My heart and my speech

And Bless to me, O God

The handling of my hand

Strength and busyness of morning,

Habit and temper of modesty, 

Force and wisdom of thought

And Thine own path, O God of virtues,

Till I go to sleep this night."

- Celtic blessing

Photo - a Celtic cross on Iona by me

A blessing for April

May Christ risen give you new hope and assurance of eternal life.
May the risen Lord light your path with resurrection glory
and lead you on the pilgrim way,
and the blessing of God remain with you always. 

- Canadian Church Calendar, A Blessing for April


Photo - snowdrops in my garden

Blessing our work

Almighty God, thank Thee for the job of this day.
May we find gladness in all its toil and difficulty,
its pleasure and success,
and even in its failure and sorrow.
We would look always away from ourselves,
and behold the glory and the need of the world
that we may have the will and the strength to bring
the gift of gladness to others;
that with them we stand to bear
the burden and heat of the day
and offer Thee the praise of work well done.

- Charles Lewis Slattery

 

 Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blessing

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.”
― John O'Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

Image courtesy of dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

an acorn planted

"Blessed are you
who walk with goodness,
who stand for the right,
who live in truth.
You are like an acorn planted
in fertile soil
that grows into a mighty oak.
Your life blesses others,
you radiate love;
joy delights your heart."
- Nan C Merrill

 

 Image courtesy of  Archipoch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Celtic blessing prayer

"Bless to me, O God
My soul and my body;
Bless to me, O God
My belief and my condition

Bless to me, O God
My heart and my speech
And Bless to me, O God
The handling of my hand

Strength and busyness of morning,
Habit and temper of modesty,
Force and wisdom of thought
And Thine own path, O God of virtues,
Till I go to sleep this night"

- Celtic blessing

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

Blessing prayer

"May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers,
half-truths and superficial relationships,
so that we will live deeply in our hearts.
May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression
and exploitation of people and the earth,
so that we will work for justice, equity and peace.
May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer,
so that we will reach out our hands
to comfort them and change their pain to joy.
And may God bless us with the foolishness to think that
we can make a difference in our world,
so that we will do the things which others say cannot be done."
- Franciscan blessing prayer

Image "Candles" courtesy of  Chris Sharp / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

St Valentine's day blessing

"Beauty of friendship grow between us
Friendship;
without guile
without malice
without striving
Goodness of Friendship grow between us
Friendship;
with light
with wings
with soul sharing
Be the eye of each friend
of my journey
to bless and teach each one.
The eye of the Father be upon us
The eye of the Son be upon us
The eye of the Spirit be upon us
The eye of the Friendly Three
be upon us forever."
- Celtic friendhip blessing

 

 

Happy Valentine's day!

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

blessing

May I live this day
Compassionate of heart,
Clear in word,
Gracious in awareness,
Courageous in thought,
Generous in love.
- John O’Donohue, 'Celtic blessings'