A Celtic moment.

   In the milking of cows and tending the hearth,
   in threading the loom and gathering the peat,
   the breath of prayer blessing each movement,
   a naming of Creator upon each mindful deed.

   Not in our kingdom of busyness,
   not in our land of lost simplicity,
   yet the Celtic grace of looking deeply
   and the Celtic faith of believing fully
   lives on enduringly within each of us,
   beseeching our beholding.

   Like the unceasing prayer of Celts,
   an ancient call to gather the ordinary,
   savor the sacrament that lies within,
   bless whatever life offers to us
   in the routine, the mindless, the duty,
   the cherished, the surprising, the serene.

   Let our open gaze fall faithfully
   over a stretch of hurried days,
   see among their swiftly moving pieces
   a story threaded with touch of Divine.

   Celtic moment, Soul moment, Sacred moment,
   in simple task or thin veil of mystery,
   whatever our day brings we can bless,
   whatever our lives hold we can reverence.

   Gather all to our soul:
   the silent sparkle of untamed moments,
   the hurried haze of endless duty,
   the silky joy of surprising experience,
   the shadowed grasp of unwanted pain.

   Recover the lost cloak
   of Celtic rhyme and Celtic rhythm,
   put on the rich garment
   of intentional communion,
   embrace the commonness of life
   woven on the endless loom of the Holy.

--Joyce Rupp

RELATED ARTICLE: CELTIC SPIRITUALITY BOOKS

In recent years, a flood of books has been published on the Celtic spirit--some fine scholarly ones, some overly romanticized and not very Celtic at all, and others that relate well the true spirit of Celtic wisdom while also connecting it authentically to our current life situations. Here are some recommendations from the latter group:

* Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World, by John O'Donohue (Bantam). O'Donohue brings Celtic consciousness to life through poetic writing that touches the soul and sings of the Celtic spirit

* A Contemporary Celtic Prayer Book by William John Fitzgerald (ACTA). A creative resource grounded in Celtic wisdom. Contains a Celtic liturgy of the hours, along with other blessings and prayers that relate to contemporary life.

* The Celtic Tradition, by Caitlin Matthews (Element). A small, more scholarly book packed with essential fads about the history, mythology, and spiritual traditions of the Celts.

* Every Earthly Blessing: Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition, by Esther deWaal (Servant). Focuses on basic Celtic themes and speaks to our need to regain a sense of the sacredness of creation.

* Praying with the Celtic Saints, by Mary C. Earle and Sylvia Maddox (St Mary's). A lovely resource with specific suggestions on how to relate Celtic spirituality to one's own life. Includes brief essays on the qualities of each saint, scriptural references, questions for reflection, and prayers.

* Wisdom of the Celtic Saints, by Edward Sellner (Ave Maria). A fine book with an excellent introduction on basic characteristics of Celtic spirituality.

RELATED ARTICLE: THE ORIGINS OF CELTIC SPIRITUALITY

The term Celtic is often considered synonymous with Irish, but it is considerably larger than that Historically, the Celts originated as tribal groups as early as 3,000 B.C. Many epics and legends describe the Celts as barbarians who invaded and conquered peoples and lands, overtaking a large portion of Europe and beyond. Some of these early Celtic tribes were always on the move, while others eventually settled and became an agricultural and seafaring people.

Most of these Celts were from the British Isles and kept their spiritual customs and traditions alive much longer than continental Europe. They were a hospitable, rural people who lived a simple life in communion with earth, sea, sun, and moon. It is from these Celts that the current movement of "Celtic Christian spirituality" has emerged.

Early Christian Celtic spirituality evolved gradually, beginning around the fifth century. This transition brought with it some spiritual traditions of earlier Celtic life that Christians kept and developed into their own beliefs and practices. Among these were the keen bond between creation and divinity; women's equality with men; the power of protection, which later formed the Celtic breastplate prayer; the symbol of the triad and the circle, an influence for a strong devotion to the Trinity; the presence of mentors and healers; the use of music, storytelling, dance, and art as expressions of life; appreciation for the beauty and power of the sea; symbols such as light and darkness; relationship with trees, fire, stones, and other elements of nature; and an ability to move back and forth between this world and an "otherworld," later reflected particularly in the devotion of Celtic Christians to their saints.

An example of the intertwining of pre-Christian and Christian practice is described by Esther deWaal in The Celtic Vision (St Bede's). She tells of a Christian ceremony at the birth of a child where the child was "handed across the fire three times and then carried sunwise three times around the fire." After this there was a blessing in the name of the Trinity.

--Joyce Rupp

JOYCE RUPP, O.S.M., a bestselling author and spiritual director in Des Moines. Her most recent books are Prayers to Sopia (Innisfree) and Out of the Ordinary (Ave Maria).