Each Nation Has A Charism - Release It
A prophetic married monk suggested to me this week something on these lines, regarding his own and neighbour countries: the God-given charisms of his four nations are Contemplative (Wales), Prophetic (Scotland), Teaching (Ireland) and Building (England). England sold its birthright for colonial oppression, and the other nations allowed their charisms to be submerged, but these charisms flourished in varying degrees during the Celtic spiritual renewal of 5th -7th centuries. The time has come to re-kindle them.
The monks inspired by Wales’ patron saint David were known as Watermen because ‘as fish live in water so these people lived in God’. Under their bards storytelling and song flourished: the flame is kept alive in the Welsh eisteddfods and male voice choirs and in a new spiritual renewal.
Members of Saint Columba’s family established the First Millennium Irish-Scots kingdom of Dal Riada in what is now Argyll and the Isles. One third of Adomnan’s Life of Columba recounts prophecies that were fulfilled. Scots developed ‘the seeing eye'. A later bard prophesied great battles and developments.
The Twelve Apostles of Ireland (there were various lists) were almost all great teachers who established monastic centres of learning. Bangor’s three thousand monks was called The Valley of Angels. The Irish were regarded as Europe’s greatest and wisest teachers. The English unified disparate groups and tribes.
The English King of Wessex, Alfred the Great, established godly rule throughout his kingdom. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 888 -9 00 records that ‘three Irishmen came to King Alfred in a boat without any oars from Ireland, whence they had stolen away because they wished to go on pilgrimage for the love of God they cared not where’. Alfred put these learned teachers to work in his kingdom. He chose as his Advisor and Scribe a Welsh contemplative, Asser, who was a monk at the monastery founded by St. David, whose monks were known as Watermen for ‘as fish live in water so these live in God’.
People in Africa the Americas, Asia and Australasia can seek to discern charisms of neighbourhoods and states.
Part of the Christian monastic vision is that God calls us to reflect something of The New Jerusalem here on earth. In this new Jerusalem Abraham’s Bosom is the Father’s Repose. Is Wales in Abraham’s Bosom? Do Scotland’s prophets come and go in the courtyards? Ireland steeps its citizens in the treasures of wisdom. England synchronises the different components of nearby tribes. Throughout the world in the New Jesrusalem there is full health because the harmony of love flows through the constituent parts. Every face reflect’s the light of the True Sun. Because God is its Founder, one is the life of all who live there. All drink from one spring. The saints, each so distinctive, feast and leap as they rejoice in love.
God is re-opening the Celtic wells. All over the world. What do you think?
