Our main liturgy has used a beloved version of St. Patrick’s Breastplate (from the Northumbria community) for many years now as a blessing prayer before the closing. It seemed hard to imagine that we could find something different for the Alternate Liturgy that had a similar depth and beauty. Then we were reminded of the Prayer of St. Brendan – the Celtic saint famous for setting off in a coracle for places unknown some 1500 years ago. The prayer below, attributed to him, is one of those that seems to get more relevant every time we pray it, in spite of (because of?) its ancient origins.
Now, as we are encouraged and united in your love,
Send us on our way with your peace.Help me to journey beyond the familiar
and into the unknown.
Give me the faith to leave old ways
and break fresh ground with You.
Christ of the mysteries, I trust You
to be stronger than each storm within me.
I will trust in the darkness and know
that my times, even now, are in Your hand.
Tune my spirit to the music of heaven,
and somehow, make my obedience count for You.
(Prayer of St. Brendan)
It’s followed by a blessing from Northumbria’s morning prayer (from Celtic Daily Prayer), though we recently adapted the pronouns, emphasizing that the Trinity has plurality (communality) as well as unity and freeing us from distractions of gender attributions to God.
May the peace of the Trinity go with you,
wherever They may send you.
May They guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May They bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders They have shown you.
May They bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
And that wraps up this series exploring the Alternate Liturgy – I hope it has conveyed something of that weekly journey of connection and renewal that has made the Celtic Service such a life-giving time for me and many others.
