| Celtic prayers are prayers of everyday life blended with the mystical and holy. Celtic sensibilities combine a strong sense of place and people and history with the current experience of people in their ongoing struggles for peace, harmony and connection with the ultimate. William John Fitzgerald has combined the ancient and modern together is a beautiful little collection of prayers. The book is divided broadly into two sections: A Celtic Liturgy of the Hours (daily prayers), and special Celtic Prayers, Blessings and Rituals for life events and occasions. The Liturgy of the Hours has a distinctly catholic feel to the structure, which comes as no surprise given the strong identification of the Celtic (particularly Irish) with ritual and liturgical forms of Christianity. The three portions of daily prayer lifted out of the particular days, appearing at the front of the section, are the Magnificat, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary (prayers that are far more general than the Celtic community). Each day then proceeds with brief prayer rituals for the morning (Lauds), the mid-day (Nones and Angelus), and the night (Compline). These include blessings of self, the world, and God, periods of silence, periods of petition and prayers of reverence. The section for special blessings and occasions includes blessings for babies, children and grandchildren, blessings for friends, those departing on journeys, meals, and even a houseblessing. There are prayers for important times in life -- birth, death, sickness, wedding and engagements, as well as prayers tied to the liturgical seasons (Lent, Advent, etc.). There are also special sections for saints, particularly those of note in the Celtic community, such as Patrick, Brigit, Columbanus, Colm Cille, and more general prayer for groups ('prayer to the vibrant women of Celtic lore'). There is a useful glossary of terms at the end of the book, including liturgical and religious terms as well as Celtic words and terms. Fitzgerald served as a parish priest in the Archdiocese of Omaha before retiring to Arizona, where he continued to serve in a priestly/chaplaincy manner even in his retirement community. Many of the prayers come from his own family background (which includes McCarthy, Garrahan and O'Bryne ancestry in addition to Fitzgeralds). This is a wonderful, pocket-sized, useful resource for daily prayer for groups and individuals. It has a wonderful, vibrant spirit that combines the unique with the familiar. It is a blessing indeed. |
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