A Farewell Celtic Orthodox Blessing

A Mid-summer Lindisfarne Festival: A circus on Sanctuary field, jazz in the pubs, the famous Lindisfarne pop group in the church - yet I also joined Sunday worship for the Winter Solstice. By Skype of course, with our Australian members.

Father Leonard of the Celtic Orthodox Church visited me on Holy Island. I recalled an invitation from Patriarch Mael 1, of whom I have fond memories, to deliver a lecture at this church's colloquium in Dol, France, where the Celtic Orthodox monks live. It was the only time in my life I have received a standing ovation - not for the content, but for trying to speak in French!

Only after that visit did I learn that most Eastern Orthodox regard this church as heterodox in structure because it is not under an Eastern Patriarch.

Father Leonard gave me Mael's final Pastoral Letter and Prayer before he "went to the Father". Mael reminded readers that their patron, Saint Tugdual of Dolay (died 1968) taught that:

“Celtic Christianity’s True tone is summed up by these words:

1. do good,

2. bless always,

3. pray for all.

These are the three principal directives.” (Notebook No 12)

Mael concluded with this beautiful farewell blessing:

Father God, Son God, Spirit God,

You all Love,

You all Goodness,

You all Compassion,

raise me, not up to You, a height I could not reach,

but raise me to the threshold of your Love,

so that in this Light

my eyes may see,

my ears hear,

and my words spread your Peace.

Grant that I be one with my brothers,

and, in this unity in You,

that we be one with Your creation and in each one of Your creatures.

May this love that unites us

and that has its source in You, be:

a river for those who thirst,

a balm for the wounded,

a consolation for the afflicted,

a beatitude for the unhappy,

an abundance for the poor,

a company for the lonely,

a refuge for the abandoned,

a blessing for the accursed,

a food for the famished,

a comfort for the anguished,

an absolute certainty for the sceptical,

a providence for the abandoned.

And that thus, all united the ones with the others,

the ones by the others,

the ones for the others,

in the total gift of self,

we be for all,

now and always,

until the dawn of the new earth,

guides toward Father God,

Son God,

Spirit God,

Tri-Unity of all Love!

Amen.

However their structures may be judged, these farewell words are surely full of God and may be taken into our souls.

Posted at 04:45am on 28th June 2015
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