Sometimes when I pray, I utter the words but I do not feel or think them.
Sometimes when I pray, I utter the words thinking about what I say, but not feeling them.
Sometimes when I pray, I utter the words and I both think and feel what I say.
An act of will cannot make me feel, nor stop my mind from wandering. An act of will can only make me utter.
So, I shall utter the words and let the Spirit do the rest, guiding my mind and heart as he wills.
—A celtic prayer (unattributed);
as quoted by Doug McKelvey on The Habit podcast (episode page)
The power of God to hold and lead
His eye to watch, His might to stay
His ear to hearken to my need
The wisdom of my God to teach
His hand to guide His shield to ward
The word of God to give me speech
His heavenly host to be my guard
The Mighty Three
My protection be
Encircling me
You are around
My life, my home
Encircling me
O sacred Three
The Mighty Three
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today...
taking Christopher down with me,
Bitter and wild is the wind tonight,
tossing the tresses of the sea to white.
On such a night as this I lie at ease;
fierce Northmen only course the quiet seas.
—Early Irish poem (unattributed)
I feel no conflict here
I feel my spirit soar
Within this sanctuary
Iona, Iona
There are no ghosts to haunt me
There is no blood upon this land
No power to make me fear
No hour of darkness here
Iona, Iona
All bathed in emerald
Out of the mist arise
I see the stones appear
A cross before my eyes
Iona, Iona, Iona…
— Iona, Iona (1990)
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