Celtic Odyssey

HAIL King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He! Hail King! hail King! blessed is He! blessed is He! Hail King! hail King! blessed is He, the King of whom we sing,          All hail! let there be joy! This night is the eve of the great Nativity, Born is the Son of Mary the Virgin, The soles of His feet have reached the earth, The Son of glory down from on high, Heaven and earth glowed to Him,          All hail! let there be joy! The peace of earth to Him, the joy of heaven to Him, Behold His feet have reached the world; The homage of a King be His, the welcome of a Lamb be His, King all victorious, Lamb all glorious, Earth and ocean illumed to Him,          All hail! let there be joy! The mountains glowed to Him, the plains glowed to Him, The voice of the waves with the song of the strand, Announcing to us that Christ is born, Son of the King of kings from the land of salvation; Shone the sun on the mountains high to Him,          All hail! let there be joy! Shone to Him

I AM lying down to-night as beseems In the fellowship of Christ, son of the Virgin of ringlets. In the fellowship of the gracious Father of glory, In the fellowship of the Spirit of powerful aid. I am lying down to-night with God, And God to-night will lie down with me, I will not lie down to-night with sin, nor shall Sin nor sin's shadow lie down with me. I am lying down to-night with the Holy Spirit, And the Holy Spirit this night will lie down with me, I will lie down this night with the Three of my love, And the Three of my love will lie down with me.

I LIE down to-night With fair Mary and with her Son, With pure-white Michael, And with Bride beneath her mantle. I lie down with God, And God will lie down with me, I will not lie down with Satan, Nor shall Satan lie down with me. O God of the poor, Help me this night, Omit me not entirely From Thy treasure-house. For the many wounds That I inflicted on Thee, I cannot this night Enumerate them. Thou King of the blood of truth, Do not forget me in Thy dwelling-place, Do not exact from me for my transgressions, Do not omit me in Thine ingathering.      In Thine ingathering.

IN name of the Lord Jesus, And of the Spirit of healing balm, In name of the Father of Israel,     I lay me down to rest. If there be evil threat or quirk, Or covert act intent on me, God free me and encompass me,     And drive from me mine enemy. In name of the Father precious, And of the Spirit of healing balm, In name of the Lord Jesus,     I lay me down to rest. *         *         *         * God, help me and encompass me,     From this hour till the hour of my death.

O JESU without sin, King of the poor, Who wert sorely subdued Under ban of the wicked, Shield Thou me this night      From Judas. My soul on Thine own arm, O Christ, Thou the King of the City of Heaven, Thou it was who bought’st my soul, O Jesu,      Thou it was who didst sacrifice Thy life for me. Protect Thou me because of my sorrow, For the sake of Thy passion, Thy wounds, and Thine own blood, And take me in safety to-night      Near to the City of God.

SPIRIT, give me of Thine abundance, Father, give me of Thy wisdom, Son, give me in my need,      Jesus beneath the shelter of Thy shield. I lie down to-night, With the Triune of my strength, With the Father, with Jesus,      With the Spirit of might.

I AM placing my soul and my body On Thy sanctuary this night, O God, On Thy sanctuary, O Jesus Christ, On Thy sanctuary, O Spirit of perfect truth,      The Three who would defend my cause,      Nor turn Their backs upon me. Thou, Father, who art kind and just, Thou, Son, who didst overcome death, Thou, Holy Spirit of power, Be keeping me this night from harm;      The Three who would justify me      Keeping me this night and always.

O JESU! to-night, Thou Shepherd of the poor, Thou sinless person Who didst suffer full sore, By ban of the wicked, And wast crucified. Save me from evil, Save me from harm, Save Thou my body, Sanctify me to-night, O Jesu! to-night, Nor leave me. Endow me with strength, Thou Herdsman of might. Guide me aright, Guide me in Thy strength, O Jesu! in Thy strength Preserve me.

Isaiah 61.1-4, 8-11 (CEB) Psalm 126 (CEB) 1 Thessalonians 5.16-24 (CEB) John 1.6-8, 19-28 (CEB) Sometimes I don’t understand the lectionary. Sunday would have been a perfect time to tie in the lesson from the Jewish Scriptures with Jesus reading the same passage in the Gospels. I mean, I get it. It’s Advent. We are about preparing for God’s coming. Isaiah talks about what to expect when God finally comes; when God’s promised Reign begins ( Mark 1.14-15; NLT ). But Jesus stating that it began with his ministry is so powerful. Especially when we see what’s entailed in that promise as spoken through Isaiah: The LORD God’s spirit is upon me,   because the LORD has anointed me. He has sent me   to bring good news to the poor,   to bind up the brokenhearted,   to proclaim release for captives,      and liberation for prisoners,   to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor    This is what God’s promised reign looks like. After reading this, Jesus said, ‘ Today, this s

COME I this day to the Father, Come I this day to the Son, Come I to the Holy Spirit powerful; Come I this day with God, Come I this day with Christ, Come I with the Spirit of kindly balm, God, and Spirit, and Jesus, From the crown of my head To the soles of my feet; Come I with my reputation, Come I with my testimony, Come I to Thee, Jesu--      Jesu, shelter me.

BE Thy right hand, O God, under my head, Be Thy light, O Spirit, over me shining. And be the cross of the nine angels over me down, From the crown of my head to the soles of my feet,      From the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. O Jesu without offence, crucified cruelly, Under ban of the wicked Thou wert scourged, The many evils done of me in the body! That I cannot this night enumerate,      That I cannot this night enumerate. O Thou King of the blood of truth, Cast me not from Thy covenant, Exact not from me for my transgressions, Nor omit me in Thy numbering,      Nor omit me in Thy numbering. Be the cross of Mary and of Michael over me in peace, Be my soul dwelling in truth, be my heart free of guile, Be my soul in peace with thee, Brightness of the mountains. Valiant Michael, meet thou my soul,      Morn and eve, day and night. May it be so.

GOD guide me with Thy wisdom, God chastise me with Thy justice, God help me with Thy mercy, God protect me with Thy strength. God fill me with Thy fullness, God shield me with Thy shade, God fill me with Thy grace, For the sake of Thine Anointed Son. Jesu Christ of the seed of David, Visiting One of the Temple, Sacrificial Lamb of the Garden, Who died for me.

A PALMFUL for thine age,      A palmful for thy growth, A palmful for thy throat,      A flood for thine appetite. For thy share of the dainty,      Crowdie and kail; For thy share of the taking,      Honey and warm milk. For thy share of the supping,      Whisked whey and milk-product; For thy share of the spoil,      With bow and with spear. For thy share of the preparation,      The yellow eggs of Easter; For thy share of the treat,      My treasure and my joy, For thy share of the feast      With gifts and with tribute; For thy share of the treasure,      Pulset of my love. For thy share of the chase      Up the face of the Beinn-a-cheo; For thy share of the hunting      And the ruling over hosts. For thy share of palaces,      In the courts of kings; For thy share of Paradise      With its goodness and its peace. The part of thee that does not grow at dawn,      May it grow at eventide; The part of thee that does not grow at night,      May it grow at ridge of middle-da

I AM bathing my face In the mild rays of the sun, As Mary bathed Christ In the rich milk of Egypt. Sweetness be in my mouth, Wisdom be in my speech, The love the fair Mary gave her Son Be in the heart of all flesh for me. The love of Christ in my breast, The form of Christ protecting me, There is not in sea nor on land That can overcome the King of the Lord's Day. The hand of Bride about my neck, The hand of Mary about my breast, The hand of Michael laving me, The hand of Christ saving me. ~~~ Variant--   Force in my mouth,   Sense be in my speech,   The taste of nectar on my lips,   Till I return hither.

I BATHE my face In the nine rays of the sun, As Mary bathed her Son      In the rich fermented milk. Honey be in my mouth, Affection be in my face; The love that Mary gave her Son      Be in the heart of all flesh for me. All-seeing, all-hearing, all-inspiring may God be, To satisfy and to strengthen me; Blind, deaf, and dumb, ever, ever be      My contemners and my mockers, The tongue of Columba in my head, The eloquence of Columba in my speech; The composure of the Victorious Son of grace      Be mine in presence of the multitude.

GOD, I am bathing my face In the nine rays of the sun, As Mary bathed her Son      In generous milk fermented. Sweetness be in my face, Riches be in my countenance, Comb-honey be in my tongue,      My breath as the incense. Black is yonder house, Blacker men therein; I am the white swan,      Queen over them. I will go in the name of God, In likeness of deer, in likeness of horse, In likeness of serpent, in likeness of king,      More victorious am I than all persons.

I WILL wash my face In the nine rays of the sun, As Mary washed her Son      In the rich fermented milk. Love be in my countenance, Benevolence in my mind, Dew of honey in my tongue,      My breath as the incense. Black is yonder town, Black are those therein, I am the white swan,      Queen above them. I will travel in the name of God, In likeness of deer, in likeness of horse, In likeness of serpent, in likeness of king:      Stronger will it be with me than with all persons.