Morning Prayer: 6 August – Psalm 24:7-10; Proverbs 8:3-12; Acts 12:7-11 – on opening doors

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Psalm 24:7-10

Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.

Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle.

Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.

Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies — he is the King of glory.

Proverbs 8:3-12

By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud,

“I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people. You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding. Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it. My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge. Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment….”

Acts 12:7-11

Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.

Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders[a] had planned to do to me!”

Reflection

IONA

One significant interview on Kingdom business was Columba’s meeting with King Brude, and on this journey he was accompanied by his friends, Abbot Comgall of Bangor and Kenneth, later abbot of Agaboe, who were visiting him at the time…
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In the first weariness of the saint’s journey to King Brude, it happened that the king, uplifted with royal pride, acted haughtily, and would not open the gate of his fortress on the first arrival of the blessed man.
(Adamnan)
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Brude the Pictish King awaits him proudly – ‘We cannot heed his message. Let him bring what words he likes! Him and his words we fling in scorn away! Bar well the gates’ – Vain pride!

See angel host this monk encompassing!
Columba’s hand invoked the Crucified!
That great voice shook the walls,
and quick the gates flew wide!
(R.M. Benson)
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And ever after from that day, so long as he lived, the king held this holy and reverend man in very great honor, as was his due.
(Adamnan)
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In an account parallel to Adamnan’s in the Latin Life of Comgall, it was Comgall who made the sign of the cross to break open the locked gates, Columba forced the door of the king’s house in the same manner, and when the king threatened them with a sword, Kenneth caused the king’s hand to wither until he believed in God. Unfortunately, none of the accounts tell us much we would like to know about Columba’s successful mission, the real conversion of King Brude, the securing of the deed to Iona, and the favor of Brude upon the evangelizing of his kingdom. Yet all of these things surely took place.
(Edward W. Stimson)
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Canticle:

Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Peanut Gallery: The general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) Our Scripture readings and reflections will be taken from the Aidan Daily Readings (Celtic Daily Prayer) during the month of August. On Sundays, we’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world. Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

Morning Prayer: 5 August – Psalm 29:3-11; Exodus 19:18-19; Revelation 12:10-12 – on the voice of the Lord

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Psalm 29:3-11

The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of lightning. The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists mighty oaks and strips the forests bare.

In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

The Lord rules over the floodwaters. The Lord reigns as king forever. The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.

Exodus 19:18-19

All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply.

Revelation 12:10-12

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

“It has come at last — salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth — the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

Reflection

IONA

John tells us there will be one loud voice in heaven – but whose?

Columba when singing in the church with the Brothers, raised his voice so wonderfully that it was sometimes heard five hundred paces off, and sometimes one thousand paces. But what is stranger still; to those who were with him in the church, his voice did not seem louder than that of the others; and yet at the same time persons more than a mile away heard it so distinctly that they could mark each syllable of the verses he was singing, for his voice sounded the same whether far or near. It is however admitted that this wonderful character in the voice of the blessed man was but rarely observable, and even then it could never happen without the aid of the Holy Ghost.

But another story concerning the great and wonderful power of his voice should not be omitted. It is said to have taken place near the fortress of King Brude (near Inverness). When the saint himself was chanting the evening hymns with a few of the Brothers, as usual, outside the king’s fortifications, some Druids coming near to them, did all they could to prevent God’s praises being sung in the midst of a pagan nation. On seeing this, the saint began to sing: ‘My heart overflows with a godly theme: I will address my verses to the King, and my tongue will be the pen of a ready writer…’ (Psalm 45:1). And in the same moment his voice was, in a marvelous manner, so raised in the air like a terrible peal of thunder, that both the king and the people were filled with intolerable dread.
(Adamnan)
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Canticle:

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Morning Prayer: 4 August – Psalm 48:9-13; 1 Kings 8:55-58; Philippians 4:4-6 – on joy-filled labor

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Psalm 48:9-13

View in Jerusalem, Holy Land. Original steel engraving drawn by W. Turner, after a sketch by C. Barry, engraved by E. Finden. 1834. — View in Jerusalem, Holy Land.
Original steel engraving drawn by W. Turner, after a sketch by C. Barry, engraved by E. Finden. 1834.

O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.

As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory. Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice.

Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around and count the many towers. Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations.

1 Kings 8:55-58

O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.

As your name deserves, O God, you will be praised to the ends of the earth. Your strong right hand is filled with victory.

Let the people on Mount Zion rejoice. Let all the towns of Judah be glad because of your justice. Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around and count the many towers. Take note of the fortified walls, and tour all the citadels, that you may describe them to future generations.

Philippians 4:4-6

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Reflection

IONA

Iona (Scottish Gaelic: Ì Chaluim Chille) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats. Its modern Gaelic name means “Iona of (Saint) Columba” (formerly anglicised “Icolmkill”). (Wikipedia)

Columba divided his monks into three classifications. There were the ‘Seniors’ who were engaged in intellectual activities, the conduct of worship, and the copying of manuscripts in the scriptorum. The ‘Working Broithers’ performed and taught the outdoor farm labour, fishing, and sealing on the shore of Erraid, a nearby island where seals congregated. The Juniors’ were young learners or novices, candidates for monastic vows. All had to work hard, and participate in the hours of worship.
(Edward W. Stinson)
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Columba’s monastic rule, eventually used by many similar communities, required that the monks own nothing but bare necessities, live in a place with but one door, centre conversation on God and God’s Testament, refuse idle words and true spreading of rumor and evil reports, and submit to every rule that governs devotion. They were to prepare always for death and suffering, offer forgiveness from the heart to everyone, pray constantly for anyone who has been a trouble, put almsgiving before all other duties, not eat unless hungry, or sleep unless tired, pray until tears came, and labour to the point of tears, as well, or if tears ‘are not free’, ‘until thy perspiration come often’.
(James H. Forest)
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Canticle:

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Morning Prayer: 2 August – Psalm 96:10-13; Genesis 28:11-12; Ephesians 6:18 – on stone pillows

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

IONA

Psalm 96:10-13

Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly.

Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.
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Genesis 28:11-12

‘Columba’s Pillow’ This simple, water-worn boulder with a ringed cross carved onto it was found by a crofter in 1870 at Clanh an Dìsirt (about a kilometre NE of the abbey). He had become so annoyed by his cartwheel constantly hitting the stone that he dug it up. It soon became known as ‘Columba’s Pillow’ – the stone on which Columba laid his head each night and which after his death marked his grave. — ‘Columba’s Pillow’
This simple, water-worn boulder with a ringed cross carved onto it was found by a crofter in 1870 at Clanh an Dìsirt (about a kilometre NE of the abbey). He had become so annoyed by his cartwheel constantly hitting the stone that he dug it up. It soon became known as ‘Columba’s Pillow’ – the stone on which Columba laid his head each night and which after his death marked his grave.

At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.

Ephesians 6:18

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Reflection

IONA

Columba and his brothers lived in simple huts, praying for each other, and for those far and wide whose lives they were to influence.
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A central hut upon a rising ground served as Columba’s cell. He watched in prayer for the small company assembled round, and for the mighty int’rests everywhere, which claimed his anxious heart. The stone was here which served him as a couch for needful sleep.
(Richard Meux Benson)
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Columba, disdaining the luxury of straw, used to lie on a stone, with another rounded stone for a pillow. A stone with a Celtic cross on it is preserved in Iona Cathedral and legend says that this stone is the very stone used by Columba for his pillow.
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Remember the holy places, the Cathedral, full of gracious light, and the stillness of the stone, with its carven capitals, its timeworn arches, its store of patterned grave stones, and the hard pillow where Columba laid his head.
(Margaret Cropper)
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Canticle:

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Morning Prayer: 1 August – Psalm 137:4-6; Deuteronomy 3:23-27; Philippians 2:8-11 – on enthronement

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

IONA

Psalm 137:4-6

But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you, if I don’t make Jerusalem my greatest joy.

Deuteronomy 3:23-27

“At that time I pleaded with the Lord and said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do? Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.’

“But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. ‘That’s enough!’ he declared. ‘Speak of it no more. But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River….’

Philippians 2:8-11

[Christ] humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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Reflection

In February 1992 twelve men went together to the island of Iona to pray. This month we ask you to journey there with us in prayer. Iona was home to Aidan; and Oswald lived there for years also, but chiefly it is Columba’s story we will recall.
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Dun I is the homeland mountain, that brooded over the first church, and huts of Columba’s brothers.
(Margaret Cropper)
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We walked up to the top of Dun I to pray and there we sang “Jesus, we enthrone You,” and discovered someone else had laid out small stones there on the ground, declaring JESUS IS LORD.

Next day we stood with Ken from Belfast, near the place where Columba landed and looked to be sure he could no longer see his native Ireland, and there again we prayed and sang, ‘Jesus, Lord of all, Name above all names’.
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Cul ri Erin, tyne back turned towards Ireland;
farewell to the known and dear,
advance to the unknown, with its formidable hazards,
its damp demands.
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Canticle:

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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