Celtic Odyssey

God and Father-Mother of our Savior Jesus Christ, whose years never fail and whose mercies are new each returning day: let the radiance of your Spirit renew our lives, warming our hearts and giving light to our minds; that we may pass the coming year in joyful obedience and firm faith; through the one who is the beginning and the end, your Child, Christ our Savior, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

GOD, bless to me the new day, Never vouchsafed to me before; It is to bless Thine own presence Thou hast given me this time, O God. Bless Thou to me mine eye, May mine eye bless all it sees; I will bless my neighbour, May my neighbour bless me. God, give me a clean heart, Let me not from sight of Thine eye; Bless to me my children and my wife, And bless to me my means and my cattle. ~~~ This poem was repeated the first thing on the first day of the year. It was  common throughout the Highlands and Islands. 

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 m...