Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community

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Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, Amen 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. November Psalm 36:7–9 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see […] Read more Scripture Readings Day 27 November Psalm 19:4a yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Isaiah 27:2–3, 6 On that day: A pleasant vineyard, sing about it! I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. I guard it night and day so that no one […] Read more Scripture Readings Day 24

November Psalm 88:8–9 You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call on you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Proverbs 15:18, 20, […] Read more Scripture Readings Day 28 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: Isaiah 5:1–4 Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watch-tower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? November Psalm 119:65 You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Proverbs 3:13, 17 Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to […] Read more Scripture Readings Day 29Our 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. The pure in heart shall see God. The seeing of Him will be the sign that we are like Him, for only by being like Him can we see Him as He is. But when we shall be fit to look Him in the face, God only knows. That is the heart of my hopes by day and my dreams by night. To behold the face of Jesus seems to me the one thing to be desired.

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. 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.

Midday Prayer

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. October Psalm 139:7–10 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even […] Read more Scripture Readings Day 30 November Psalm 19:1–3 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; Isaiah 11:2–3 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the […] Read more Scripture Readings Day 23 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. Let everything that has life, let everything that has breath give all the glory and honour and praise to the One who overcame death. Let every living thing sing of the mercies of our God. Let us exalt Him wherever we live with thanksgiving and joy in our hearts. If we don’t praise Him, the […] Read more Meditation Day 27

If you have young children, Compline can be used as bed-time prayers with them or over them, substituting the child’s or children’s names in the boxed sections whenever they cannot say the prayer for themselves. E.g. ‘In peace will Martha lie down, for it is You, O Lord, You alone who makes her to rest secure.’ November Psalm 115:17–18 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any that go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time on and for evermore. Praise the Lord! 2 Kings 2:10–12 He responded, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being […] Read more Scripture Readings Day 26 Leader: Brigit the fifth-century Irish saint, was famed for her hospitality. The following prayer is attributed to her. As we recite it let us consider our own need to be God’s hospitality to othersTaken from [Morning/Midday/Evening] Prayer from Northumbria Community’s Celtic Daily Prayer published by Collins.’ Felgild lived in the late seventh century. After Cuthbert died, Ethilwald took his place as hermit on the Inner Farne. Twelve years later, having never left the island, he also died. Felgild was the next hermit to come there, but the rigours of his life in the cell aggravated a swelling on his face. The condition was suddenly healed, allowing him to continue the life of a solitary. 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. The pure in heart shall see God. The seeing of Him will be the sign that we are like Him, for only by being like Him can we see Him as He is. But when we shall be fit to look Him in the face, God only knows. That is the heart of my hopes […] Read more Meditation Day 25 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.