Celtic Daily Prayer

Product Information

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.

If you are a novice when it comes to having your spirituality facilitated by a prayer book then take note, Celtic Daily Prayer is absolutely the best place to start. Here are a few reasons why.

Taken from [Morning/Midday/Evening] Prayer from Northumbria Community’s Celtic Daily Prayer published by Collins.’ This Compline is dedicated to him because he represents so many whose names we never hear who faithfully follow the example of good men and women of old, continuing their battle against the powers of evil and in their devotion to prayer. 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. This is specially devised for use in the middle of a busy working day. For this reason it is short, and can be prayed in the time it takes to boil a kettle, especially if committed to memory. Some find it helpful to make a point of saying it whilst moving around (whilst preparing lunch for instance) as a reminder to pray as we work and work as we pray. Others find it a welcome opportunity to withdraw from the tensions and busyness of the day to spend some time quiet and alone with God, putting the day’s work into a different perspective. 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.

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. 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. 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. PrayerThe 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. 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.