Iona, Irish Missionaries, and The Book Of Kells
Peanut Gallery: I thought it might be helpful to provide some background information on Iona since we will be spending our Morning Prayer during month of August exploring the island.
Tag: Iona
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 (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)
This is a close up view of the summit Cairn on Dun I Iona looking out towards Staffa and the Island of Mull.
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:
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: 18 July – Psalm 127; Amos 9:13-15; Hebrews 12:1 ~ on following godly examples
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.
Pilgrimage
outside Columba’s chapel
Iona, Scotland
Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
Amos 9:13-15 NLT
“The time will come,” says the Lord, “when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine! I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine. I will firmly plant them there in their own land. They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
Hebrews 12:1 NLT
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Reflections
The mountaineer and the fisherman and the shepherd of the Isles live their lives in lonely places, and the winds and waves bear to them messages from the unknown beyond.
(Wilkie)
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This, then is the Iona of Columba.
There is a bay where the little, sea-tossed coracle drove ashore. There is a hill – the Hill of Angels – where heavenly visitants shone before him. There is the Sound across which the men of Mull heard vespers sung by hooded monks – heard the Lord’s song sung in a strange land. There is the narrow strip of water across which holy men came to take counsel, sinners to do penance, kings to be crowned. The little island speaks with a quiet insistence of its past – for was it not at once the fountain and the fortress of the faith, at once the center of Celtic learning and of Christian charity?
(Troup)
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In Iona of my heart, Iona of my love,
instead of a monk’s voice
shall be lowing of cows;
but ere the world shall come to an end
Iona shall be as it was.
(Attributed to Columba)
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How wonderful it is to walk with God
along the road which holy men have trod.
(Theodore H. Kitching)
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Follow the example of good men of old
and God will comfort you and help you.
(Columba)
Aidan Readings – Aidan of Lindisfarne
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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
_____________________________________
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 July. 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.
The Peanut Gallery 