Echoes of Creation

Reflections On
Celtic Spirituality

Part Four
Saints and Pilgrimage
 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 2

Celtic Spirituality Part 4 :-

PILGRIMAGE and a Procession of Saints
NOTE

This is the fourth in a series of five presentations on Celtic Spirituality. These notes form
part of a series of workshops with music, song, poetry and experiential exercises, all an
essential part of gaining an understanding of Celtic Spirituality. Therefore, these notes
need to be read in this context.

However, in the true spirit of Celtic Spirituality we open each session ( and written
paper) with Prayer, the bringing of Light, with the lighting of candles, and the reading of
Sacred Scripture – part of our heritage of Universal Wisdom

OPENING PRAYER
Like dew dripping off the leaves in the early light
Your Grace and Love continues to pour upon us.
It spreads Joy and Love through our whole being.
We praise and give thanks to You, both for this Love
and Joy and for the urge within to give thanks
Continue to be our Companion – our Anam Cara
as we Journey on our pilgrimage back to You. Amen

PRAYER FOR THE LIGHTING OF CANDLES

Similar to many cultures, the Celts considered light to be so important. For them there
was a constant struggle between Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, this world and the
after life world.

We pause now to bring light to our reflections on the procession of saints and pilgrimage
( one of the four great Ps ) in Celtic Spirituality.

ALL We light these 3 candles in the name of The Father, the Son and the Spirit.
May the Grace of the Father, The Love of the Son,
The Guidance of the Spirit,
Be with us on our pilgrimage back to the Source
AMEN

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 3

THE WORD OF GOD

The function and task of every disciple is to follow his or her Master. Following a true
Master is never easy. It demands courage, discipline, compassion, humility and a
willingness to walk in the Master’s footsteps.

Following a master is a life times journey – a pilgrimage. This is both an inner and outer
pilgrimage that leads to great change. In the following reading we read of an exchange
between Jesus and his disciples. This outlines the true cost of discipleship.

Jesus looked and said to his disciples ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the
Kingdom of God’. The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again.
‘Children how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of
God!. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man
to enter the Kingdom of God.

The disciples were even more amazed and said to each other.
‘Who then can be saved’ ?

Jesus looked at them and said..

‘With man this is impossible but not with God, all things are possible with God’

Peter said to him, ‘We have left everything for you ! ‘

‘ I tell you the truth’ Jesus replied., ‘ no one who has left home or brothers or
sisters or mothers, children and fields for me and the Gospel will fail to receive a
hundred times as much in this present age ( homes , brothers, sisters, mothers,
children and fields – and with them , persecutions). And in the age to come,
eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first’

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 4

A SONG FOR A PILGRIM

The following is an ancient Irish Hymn about pilgrimage – our theme in this session and
short paper. As usual, participants and readers are encouraged to reflectively read the
following words as preparation for this theme of Celtic Spirituality.

THE PILGRIM – ancient Irish Hymn

Shall I go, O King of the mysteries, after my fill of cushions and music,
To turn my face on the shore and my back on my native land?

Shall I be in poverty in the battle through the grave of a King,

a King who does not fail., without great honour or a famous chariot,
Without silver, without a horse.

Without heady drink that intoxicates a throng, without a stout tribe,

without retainers to protect me, without a swift shield or any weapon, without cup,
ale or drinking horn?

Without soft clothes that are pleasant to look at,

without cushions which are no friend of any saint,
But beech twigs of virtue under a hard quilt for my body?

Shall I say a long farewell to the great island of the sons of Mil?
Shall I offer myself under Christ’s yoke
before I cross the waters of the Red Sea?

Shall I cut my hand with every sort of wound

On the breast of the wave which wrecks boats ?
Shall I leave the track of my two knees on the strands by the shore?

Shall I take my little black currach over the broad-breasted glorious ocean?
O King of the bright kingdom,
Shall I go on my own choice upon the sea?

Whether I be strong or poor,

Or mettlesome so as to be recounted in tales
O Christ, will you help me
When it comes to going upon the wild sea?

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 5

INTRODUCTION

‘ A boat in a harbour is safe. But that is not what boats are for !’

Our ‘Journey’ is like a pilgrimage. Our goal is to return to the Source – from whence we
came- , which is God. The paradox is that we are as close to the Source at the
beginning as we are at the end. The Source never leaves us. What can happen is that
we can ‘lose’ our sense of contact with God. But God never loses us! This session will
explore the importance of pilgrimage in our lives and how it was also part of the Celtic
way of life. But before that let us pause to see where this Lenten Journey has taken us
so far.

We have looked at the twin pillars of Presence and Protection and the sense of the
sacredness of Place – the Immanence and Transcendence of God. We also have
looked at the centrality of the Trinity in Celtic Spirituality and their vibrant and intoxicated
sense of God being with them in all things and at all times – hence the variety of prayers
for all occasions. Before we move on, let us reflect on this and particularly on the last
session where we experienced the CAIM or Lorica and with it the Celtic sense of ever-
present Protection.

The is a story from the Buddhist Tradition , which Thomas Merton refers to in his book ‘
Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander’ .as been chosen because it is a more modern
exposition of the importance of the ‘journey’ or pilgrimage of our life.Merton’s story sets
the scene for the Celtic sense of what Pilgrimage is all about. It reflects on the Great
Way – the ultimate pilgrimage. Now this is what Celts called Green Martyrdom This
was not an actual martyrdom that involved losing ones physical life. It involved one
setting out on a journey with God, setting out in hope and confidence. For most Celts it
meant leaving Ireland in a boat. Hence the ancient Irish saying All this is reflected in this
Celtic saying ‘‘ A boat in a harbour is safe. But that is not what boats are for !’

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 6

Thus the early Irish Saints had this simple saying about the importance of courage and
renunciation if one was to live life as a pilgrim.

Four things you don’t want in a boat;

oars, rudder, anchor and a fear of drowning.
So that God can take you to where He wants to ’

So with these points in mind let us return to Merton and his reflections on the Great
Way.

The Great Way – to God’s Capital

A Reflection by Thomas Merton

There is the following Zen Buddhist Story:

A monk said to Master Joshu ‘ What is the way?’

Joshu replied : ‘ Outside the fence’
The monk insisted: ‘ I mean the Great Way? What is the Great Way?’
Joshu replied: ‘ The Great Way is the Way that which leads to the Capital’

Merton, reflecting on this story goes on ….

‘The Great Way is right in the middle of the story, and I should remember it when I get
excited about war and peace. I sometimes think I have an urgent duty to make all kinds
of protests and clarifications. – but, above all, the important thing is to be ON the Great
Way and to STAY on it, whether one speaks or not.

It is not necessary to run all over the countryside shouting ‘peace, peace!’ But it is
essential to stay on the Great Way which leads to the Capital, for ONLY on the Great
Way is there peace. If no one follows the way, there will be no peace in the world, no
matter how much men may preach it.

It is easy to know that ‘ there is a way somewhere’ and even perhaps to know that
others are not on it ( by analogy with one’s own lost ness , wandering far from the way).
But this knowledge is useless unless it helps one find the Great Way.’

All the above leads us further into our theme of the Celtic procession of Saints and
Pilgrimage. Because, for Celts, the importance of pilgrimage was considered paramount
and thus it became one of the four Great Ps of their approach to God and Spirituality.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 7

Pilgrimage and a Procession of Saints

It is important to recognise that Celtic Christianity was neither organised nor was it a
Church. For Celts, life was seen as a journey or pilgrimage – from darkness to light.
The life here in this world mirrored the ‘interior journey’ (See Theresa of Avila & St John
of the Cross) back to the Source of all Life – God. Therefore, living ‘mission’ , as we
might call it today, was the norm. Celts were not interested in hierarchical, formal and
organised religion.

Monks and nuns and holy men and women lived in community which were often mixed
and comprised of married and celibate men and women. These were often led by
women (St Hilda of Whitby and St Bridget of Kildare are examples). In the early
centuries of the Celtic Church they did not construct large buildings or churches and
edifices and even less did they use stone. Most communities ‘sprung up’ around holy
men and women, who often lived as hermits – much like the Desert Fathers and
Mothers of Egypt. Communal living was an important aspect of Celtic culture. This
mirrored the tribal/clan society which was the norm. People would come and go and
whilst in community would lead lives that were a mixture of activity, prayer and isolation.

Note: This lack of concern for formal structures and power systems was to eventually
lead to the destruction of the Celtic way of Christianity and to the dominance of Rome.

The variety and content of the Celtic spiritual way of l life is best shown in the words of
the following poem attributed to one of the three greatest Irish saints, St Colmcille (Dove
of the Church), known in Britain as St Columba. This shows a way of life he
recommended to his followers. This way a way or rule of life that was freer and less
structured than the Rule of St Benedict , a rule that was adopted by the Western
Church.

That I might bless the Lord, who orders all;

Heaven with its countless bright orders, land, strand and flood,
That I might search in all the books that would help my soul;
At times kneeling to the Heaven of my heart,
At times singing psalms,
At times contemplating the King of Heaven, Chief of the Holy Ones.
At times at work without compulsion,
This would be delightful.
At times plucking duilisc from the rocks
At other times fishing
At times distributing food to the poor
At times in hermitage.
(attributed to St Colmcille – Columba)

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 8

The Importance of Pilgrimage As previously stated; for Celts Life was a pilgrimage .
For them, life was designed to be lived in the Presence of God. Thus a disciple was
always on a journey, a pilgrimage, with and in the ‘presence’ of the Creator.

Now the concept of pilgrimage is universal. In the early Christian Church ,and in the
hundreds of years since, ‘pilgrimages’ to Holy Places – particularly ROME and
JERUSALEM were common. People thought that going to a Holy Place was ‘special’
and thus brought God closer to them. But Celts, although they had their Holy Places,
disagreed and felt that it was more important to see life as a Pilgrimage. The danger of
seeing the Holy Place as special is that it can lead to a dualistic approach to spirituality.
It can lead to the idea that God can only be found and/or accessed in special places. In
addition, this can lead to the concept that, not only are certain places exclusive to finding
God’s presence but so too can special people be the exclusive ‘conduit’ to God.

The early Celts rejected these dualistic and exclusive ideas. This Irish Celtic saying of
7th or 8th Century – re pilgrimage – in this case to Rome, puts it succinctly

‘Who to Rome Goes,

Much Labour, little profit knows
For God, on earth, though long you’ve sought him
You’ll miss at Rome unless you’ve brought him.’

This is less an anti-Rome poem and more a comment on the failure to recognise the
Indwelling Presence and Protection of God at all times and in all places. For Celts , not
fully recognising the supremacy of Rome and its system of Episcopal and Priestly
power, warned of the dangers of only seeing God in special places and special people.
For Celts, God’s presence was to be found in the everyday life and in the totality of
creation.

So it is important to remember the Celtic concept that , GOD IS WITH YOU AT ALL
TIMES AND IN ALL PLACES. They considered that our home IS with God and GOD IS
our home and our resting place. Therefore, our life’s journey is a constant pilgrimage
with and towards God. Like Hindu Spirituality, Celts felt that the journey i.e. the
pilgrimage , was much more important than the destination. The manner in which we
travel on the pilgrimage and our way of relating with our fellow pilgrims and the
environment were more important than being fixated on the destination.

To keep focused on the journey and its way of life was thus central to Celtic Spirituality
and this was best achieved with support. Like Eastern approaches, Celts revered
wisdom and learning and therefore the importance of finding a wise guide or Guru. This
leads to the Celtic concept of the Anam Cara.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 9

The Importance of an Anam Cara( Anam Chairde) An Aman Cara is a ‘soul

friend’ ( coming from the Gaelic word Anam meaning ‘soul ‘ and Cara or Chairde
meaning ‘Friend’ ) and this was and still is an important aspect of Celtic Spirituality. It
came from the pre-Christian era where the wisdom and guidance of the Druids were
valued. To travel safely on a journey requires a good guide or soul friend and preferably
a guide one has journeyed ‘ up on the mountain towards god’ .

In Celtic Society this role of the wise Anam Cara was very often provided by lay people,
both men and women. These men and women provided wise counsel to one who
journeyed on the path towards God. An Anam Cara was a mixture of Spiritual Friend,
Advisor, Director and Counsellor. In Celtic Society it was more important to obey (or
listen to the counsel of) your Anam Cara than any rules of the Church. A saying,
attributed to St Brigid (amongst others) is ‘A person without an Anam Cara is like a body
without a head’.

Celtic Communities Communities were involved in all aspects of life. There was
no separation between ‘holy’ and ‘secular’. They valued learning, music, arts, work,
prayer ( in all) house, field, hospital and university. These communities were very often
mixed with celibate and married men and women. So it was from these ‘centres’ of
spirituality, learning and ‘God Intoxication’ that men and women set out to live out and
share the Gospel.

White (sometimes referred to as green) martyrdom was the stuff of these men and
women i.e. abandoning everything – including home, family and very often country, for
the love of God and in God’s service. In other words not dying for the Faith but
journeying in faith and through lived example show God to others.

There is an ancient Irish saying ‘ May your feet take you to where your heart is’ This
was a guiding light for a procession of saints who spread the Gospel from Ireland as far
north as Iceland , throughout Scotland and North England and to the continent – as far
east as Kiev , north to Poland and south almost to the gates of Rome. These
missionaries saw it more as a joyful duty to live amongst people (like St Paul), share
their culture and live the Good News. They incorporated people and their culture into the
Body of Christ. (It took another 1000 years before Western Christianity , at Vatican 2 ,
re-awoke to this simple and powerful message of enculturation). This is something else
we can learn from the Celts in this post-Christian world.

But let us now briefly examine two of the greatest ‘missionaries’ of the Celtic Church. St
Colmcille ( Columba) and St Columbanus – both , in their own way Celtic examples who
had many of the attributes of St Paul. Both men were great travellers who took their
message to far flung places.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 10

COLMCILLE - Dove of the Church

Colmcille – known in Britain as Columba, along with Patrick and Bridgid, forms the 3
Major Irish Saints.

Colmcille came from Royal Lineage, he founded a community at Derry in Northern

Ireland. This became a great centre of learning and of written works. He then got
involved in a ‘COPYRIGHT DISPUTE’ . Colmcille loved books and writing and copied a
PSALTER belonging to Finnian without permission. The High King ruled against him but
Colmcille – a man of passion disagreed and attacked the King. Many died in the ensuing
battle. In great penitence he consulted his Anam Cara ( a HERMIT) who told him, that in
order to make true repentance, he ( Colmcille) had to make as many souls for Christ as
had been killed.

So Colmcille set out with 12 disciples in a small boat. He left Ireland and landed on Iona
– far enough away so that he could not see his beloved land. From this base , Colmcille
and his followers set out in twos,as Christ’s disciples did, and converted Scotland and
Northern England to Christianity. From Iona the great Saint Aidan set out for
Northumberland and Lindisfarne. It was one of Aidan’s successors ,St Chad – a loving
disciple of Aidan, who became the 1st Bishop of Lichfield in the Midlands of England.
Almost 1500 later, the spirit of Colmcille lives on in Iona & Lindisfarne

ST COLUMBANUS Born 543 , Columbanus became the 1st and most influential of the
Celtic Missionaries on the continent. It is reputed that he was a very handsome man
who broke women’s hearts. His Anam Cara – a woman Hermit – advised him to enter a
community , under Finnian ( see the notes on Colmcille above) .

After some time with Finnian , he decided to set out on pilgrimage to spread the Gospel
in Eastern Europe. So he set out with 12 disciples for the Continent, and founded
communities along the Rhine, Lake Constance and finally, his most famous at Bobbio in
Northern Italy. He. died aged 73 at Bobbio in 615. His monks spread the Gospel
throughout, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, parts of France and later on east to Kiev.

Almost 600 years later, a young Italian Nobleman, named Francis, grew up in Bobbio.
He became a great Saint and founded the Franciscan Order. Francis is often referred to
as the Saint of Nature and the Environment. Arguably St Francis was influenced by the
Celtic concept of Presence in Nature which was spread to Bobbio by Columbanus
centuries before.

Both Columba and Columbanus demonstrate the ability of people who can
Transcend their frailties providing they focus on a greater calling – a calling that listens
to God’s inner call in the ‘Cave of the Heart’ , as Hindus refer to it; a call of inner
awakening.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 11

Some Final Comments

This has been a very brief resume of the importance of pilgrimage in Celtic Spirituality. It
has outlined some of the more important points and looked briefly at two of the ‘giants’
from the pantheon of Celtic Missionaries – who over a period of two to three hundred
years spread the Good News across much of Europe and who played a large part in
saving both Christianity and its culture from the ravages of what historians call ‘ The
Dark Ages’. Celts very much practiced the ‘ Presence of God’. St Columbanus told his
disciples ‘ Live in Christ, that Christ may live in you’

So for Celts, either at home (on life’s inner pilgrimage) or travelling on pilgrimage , a
constant theme or mantra for them was that ‘ Our God is a God of Intimacy, a God of
Immediacy , A God of ‘felt Presence’. To paraphrase George McLeod (founder of the re-
vitalised Iona Community in the mid 20th Century ) ‘ Ours is a God of WHOLE
SALVATION not just SOUL SALVATION’. This succinctly summarises the Celtic concept
of God, the Journey of Pilgrimage and the need to be constantly aware of God’s
Presence.

Final Prayer

Father, bless to me my body

Jesus, bless to me my soul
Spirit, bless to me my life.
Father, Son and Spirit
Bless to me my Faith AMEN

( Adapted from A Carmichael)

Note

The final presentation and notes will summarise all four themes and point to ways
that Celtic Spirituality might be relevant to the challenges facing Western
Christianity in the new millennium.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 12

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following are some of the main sources which support all chapters/short papers
in this series on Celtic Spirituality. Other sources are quoted in the text as they
occur. In addition, many of the opening and closing prayers have been adapted
and/or compiled or written by the author (Peter Creagh) in the ‘style’ of Celtic
Spirituality.

Adam, David,(1987) The Cry of the Deer , London, Triangle/SPCK

Adam, David,(1985) The Edge of, London, Triangle/SPCK

Glory Backhouse,H & Pipe,R ( Eds)( 1987) Revelations of Divine Love – Mother Julian of

Norwich , London, Hodder & Stoughton

Bamford, C & Marsh,WP (1986) Celtic Christianity – Ecology and Holiness, Edinburgh, Floris

Bradley,I (2003) The Celtic Way, London , Darton-Longman-Todd

Cahill,T (1995) How the Irish Saved Civilization - New York, Doubleday

Beresford-Ellis,P (1992) Celtic Inheritance – London, Constabl

Lleelyn,R (1990) The Dart of Longing Love – Daily Readings from the Cloud of Unknowing,

London, Darton-Longman-Todd

Matthews,J & C (1993) The little Book of Celtic Wisdom, Dorset, Element

Matthews,C (1994) The little Book of Celtic Blessings, Dorset, Element

Matthews,C (1989) THe Celtic Tradition , Dorset, Element

McKinney,D ( 2004) Walking the Mist- Celtic Spirituality for the 21st Century, London ,

Hodder& Stoughton

O Fiannachta,P (1988) Saltair – Prayers from the Irish Tradition , Dublin, Columba Press

O Malley,B ( 1998) Celtic Blessings , Norwich, Canterbury Press

O Malley,B ( 2002) A Celtic Primer , Norwich, Canterbury Press

Streit, Jakob (1977) Sun and Cross, Edinburgh, Floris Press

Tobin, G (1999), The Wisdom of St Patrick, New Yourk, Ballantine

Toulson, S (1993) The Celtic Year, Dorset, Element

Vardey,L (1996) God In All Worlds, New York, Vintage Books

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections