Fay…Gay…& On-The-Way

17NOV07….Advent. It’s the first day of Advent.

Oh, no! you say. You’re too early.

But I’m not early…for Celtic Advent. It seems that the early Church in the Celtic Lands celebrated Advent as the forty days before Christmas, as Lent is the forty days before Easter. Except, of course, Advent is not penitential.

This year my spiritual discipline is daily reading and writing. I’ll be reading Celtic prayers, prose, and poetry; I’ll be blogging reflections for these forty days. Our bishop, William “Rusty” Clyma, has asked our stories of our own Journeys.

I’m enclosing one of my favorite pieces of music, Saint Brigid’s Prayer, sung by Noirin Ni Riain and the Monks of Glenstal Abbey. Ms. Ni Riain is an Irish “relative;” the modern-day Ryan (little king) is Riain; “ni” means “daughter of.” (as O means son of)

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/15/story_1570_1.html

Lyrics to Saint Brigid’s Prayer

I’d like to give a lake of beer to God.
I’d love the Heavenly
Host to be tippling there
For all eternity.

I’d love the men of Heaven to live with me,
To dance and sing.
If they wanted, I’d put at their disposal
Vats of suffering.

White cups of love I”d give them,
With a heart and a half;
Sweet pitchers of mercy I’d offer
To every man.

I’d make Heaven a cheerful spot,
Because the happy heart is true.
I’d make the men contented for their own sake
I’d like Jesus to love me too.

I’d like the people of heaven to gather
From all the parishes around,
I’d give a special welcome to the women,
The three Marys of great renown.

I’d sit with the men, the women of God
There by the lake of beer
We’d be drinking good health forever
And every drop would be a prayer.