Celtic thoughts

A wonderful recent Mt. Carmel evening event was The Great Encircling:  The Vision of Celtic Spritituality- a talk and prayer given by Sr. Kathleen Deignan. 
Sr. Kathleen said that a great influence on Celtic spirituality was that of the monks who lived in the desert. 
Theirs was a simple, quiet, solitary spirtuality brought from the arid East to lush Ireland. 
I am reminded of the caves and the desert dwellings of the early Christians.
The cacti around our altar are speaking of the dryness of faith in this season before Easter.


Yesterday the town was flooded because of a deluge that brought torrents of rain the night before.
It was too much at once. 
There is a balance between the dryness and the floods where we are able to nuture ourselves with the kind of Celtic Spirituality that arose from the aridness of the desert.
Even in the desert there are flowers and plants.  How do they eek out their existence in that dryness?
I think when there is little to nuture us in faith, we draw from our foundations and hang on. 

One way we can do this is by turning to faithful prayer.
At Cornestone XII this year we prayed the rosary.
I used my mother's beads that I always carry in my purse (but never prayed).
I was greatly moved.
 Recently I have awakened at night and have been unable to get back to sleep.
  It was suggested to me that I pray.
I was reminded of that old, old method of prayer that I never turned to- it was just not my way.
I put My mother's rosary under my pillow that night, and when I awoke (at 4 AM)  
I started the rosary, keeping those beads under my pillow.
It was able to fall peacefully back to sleep. 
  I pulled from the foundation of faithful prayer in my time of dryness and need.
   It was my mother's special well of prayer,
that was always full.
I thought it was old-fashioned- until I tried it and was so deeply moved. 
I keep mom's rosary under my pillow now.

This Lenten season already shows signs of spring and the newness of life.