Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community

Product Information

Midday Prayer retains the ‘thee and ‘thou’ forms of speech. This may seem unfamiliar to the many who are used only to modern language, but it is a deliberate attempt to highlight the contemporary relevance of the treasure of prayer from long ago. In this respect the Community follows the rich tradition of monastic communities through the centuries. At Nether Springs, the mother house of the Community, the Office is said or sung at set times in the chapel; when Companions in the Community meet together, saying the Office can be a routine part of the meeting; and individuals and families can use it in their homes as part of daily life. The Ancient Paths of Northumbria in northeastern England have been trod by generations of men and women who loved God and followed Jesus, bringing faith, hope, and love to vast numbers of people. Today, the Northumbria Community remains a living expression of this monastic, contemplative stream of the faith, and the perennial need to make that faith relevant to the world. If you wish to use part, or all, of our Daily Office (Morning, Midday or Evening Prayer) in public worship for a one-off event, you may reproduce the words in a service sheet, or in a PowerPoint presentation, providing they are not being sold. Please add the following attribution, adapted according to the section of the liturgy that you are using: If you are simply reading aloud from the books in a public context, such as a Church service, then no permission is needed unless a recording is being taken that will be broadcast or sold.

If you wish to use part, or all, of our Complines in public worship for a one-off event, you may reproduce the words in a service sheet providing they are not being sold. Please add the following attribution, adapted according to the Compline that you are using: We receive many requests for permission to reproduce parts of our liturgy or other items from Celtic Daily Prayer Books 1 and 2. We are greatly encouraged that so many people find help and inspiration from our published resources and we want to enable as many people as possible to make use of them. Taken from [Morning/Midday/Evening] Prayer from Northumbria Community’s Celtic Daily Prayer published by Collins.’

Prayer

This collection of stories, meditations, poems and prayers evokes the authentic spirit of Celtic Christianity. Capturing the atmosphere of parables passed down through generations, it shows the human warmth, respect for the natural world and robust, down-to-earth qualities for which Celtic spirituality is so greatly valued. The Daily Office – Morning, Midday and Evening Prayer – is at the core of the life of the Northumbria Community. A regular cycle of daily prayers constitutes the essential rhythm of life, around which other activities can take their proper place.

Among those schooled by Ita was Brendan, who honoured her as his foster-mother and adviser. The Compline that follows is named after her because of its emphasis on examination of the heart, and the prayers of care and protection for each soul who crosses our path. Our liturgies, and in particular our Daily Office , are part of our Community treasure. They are born out of our Community’s story, have been lived and prayed throughout our journey, and enshrine our ethos. As a result, they are very precious to us and we ask that anyone making use of them does so with respect. Shall we say Compline tonight?’ Compline is used in the Northumbria Community as an optional extra to the Daily Office, but brings a perfect end to the day. Many use it on a regular basis, usually just before retiring to bed. On retreats it can be used to bring time together to a close as the whole household goes into quiet until next morning. These prayers are not lengthy and can be offered in just a few minutes. CDP Book 2 also offers additional resources for the Times and Seasons of the year, for Rites of Passage and liturgies and prayers for the significant events and decisions in life. Among the book’s riches are liturgies to celebrate and reflect on the joy and ambivalence of reaching adulthood and another to put into words the pain of laying-down and letting go. Chosen singleness is affirmed without denying the frustrations of the un-chosen single state. The challenge of relationships is recognised and the pain of their disintegration is met with compassion. The disruption of change, the mid-life doldrums and the bitter-sweetness of old age are given voice. Homes and work are celebrated, journeys are blessed, peace is yearned for and healing is sought. For those seeking fresh resources for corporate worship, CDP Book 2 contains four new Communion services, an Advent liturgy that could work equally well in either a church or home group setting and fourteen new Follow the Example liturgies with suggestions for occasions when they may prove helpful. These liturgies reflect the importance to us of the inspiration and example of the Celtic, and in particular the Northumbrian, saints. The culture in which they lived and worked, and the issues they faced as they sought to seek and serve God, mirror our own times, and the questions we grapple with, in an uncanny way that belies the centuries that lie between us. The Office can be said anywhere, but, for Morning and Evening Prayer, it is recommended that a quiet place, as free from interruptions as possible, is chosen. Our lives are usually too full of noise, so this is the ideal moment of the day to experience real silence.Morning and Evening Prayer include scripture readings, meditations and prayers. Most of the selected scriptures are short and time should be allowed after each reading for its meaning to filter down from the head to the heart, and to seek the significance of each for that day. The relevant meditation for the day of the month follows, and repetition of them month by month turns them into familiar friends – they are worth learning by heart. Again, time should be allowed for new insights to develop in the mind and heart before moving on. Some find that the mornings tend to be too rushed for lengthy silences and that this can best wait till evening prayer. The important thing is to find a rhythm that works for you. Prayer Morning, Midday and Evening Prayer and Complies with Meditations for the day and four years of Daily Readings from Books 1 and 2. I enjoy using prayer books to help guide my daily devotional times. I’ve had this one on my shelf for quite a while, and this year I decided to make it my default prayer book. It includes one prayer each for morning, midday, and evening, along with a short daily meditation reading for each day of the month (with instruction to switch in other devotional readings as desired), and two complete sets of year-long daily readings. I chose to use the Aidan Series. The book also includes prayers for specific occasions throughout the church calendar, and a section of biographies of well-known Christians throughout history. Celtic Daily Prayer offers an alternative to the cult of the new, drawing on the live of the Celtic Saints, as well as many other writers and thinkers down the ages, to help the modern pilgrim find solid ground in their daily walk with God. It is a unique resource for personal and group devotions, both for daily use and on special occasions.