The Mary Christopher Podcast

Celtic people were creative and practical.  We know this because we have inherited their amazing carvings, and crosses as well as their spiritual practices and prayers.  It appears the Celts originated in Central and Western Europe during the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age (approx. 1200 - 450 BCE). Even though the expansion of the Roman Empire absorbed most of the continental Celtic groups, their culture and languages managed to survive and thrive in the British Isles. They were sheltered mainly in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, as well as Brittany in France.

The Celtic tradition believes that all Creation is Sacred and an expression of our Creator.  Their art also reflects the symmetry and interwoven patterns we find everywhere in Creation.  They created prayers for almost every event or activity including “waking the household fire in the morning”, blessing a newborn child, and blessing a new garment.  They even had prayers for guiding a Soul on its way to heaven.  Their prayers reflect kindness and a sense of gratitude that is heart-warming and healing.  We are definitely blessed to have inherited so much of their art as well as their daily prayers.

~ Celtic Morning Prayer ~

May the blessing of the rain be on you,

the soft sweet rain.

May it fall upon your spirit

so that all the little flowers may spring up,

and shed their sweetness on the air.

May the blessing of the great rains be on you,

may they beat upon your spirit

and wash it fair and clean.

And leave there many a shining pool

where the blue of heaven shines,

and sometimes shines a star. 

~ Celtic Evening Prayer ~

Deep peace of the running wave to you,

Deep peace of the flowing air to you,

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,

Deep peace of the shining stars to you,

Deep peace of the gentle night to you.

Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you, 

All through this night.

Sometimes, when the “world” seems to be tilting closer and closer to insanity, we may wonder if our prayers are doing any good at all.  The answer is “Yes”… they are!  A specific example is that our daily prayers are creating emotional and mental stability within us!  When we focus on our Creator and on Creation and practice a bit of Gratitude, we are building Inner Strength and Fortitude.  We are also becoming more aware of what is possible rather than just seeing “doom and gloom”.  We know this happens because of scientific research that actually started early in the last century.

This is what our Celtic ancestors accomplished as they wove these wonderful prayers into the fabric of their day.  Their lives were not easy.  They did not have the conveniences we do.  If they wanted fresh bread for breakfast, they had to have the flour and ingredients to make it.  Or, they needed something of value to trade for a loaf.  A bad harvest would mean people went hungry!  They also had to deal with invading Anglo-Saxons or those pesky and dangerous Vikings.  Their lives were not easy, but their spiritual practices carried them through difficult times, gifting their prayers to us!

~ Celtic Morning Prayer ~

You are the peace of all things calm

(celtic oral tradition - 1st millennium)

    ~ Celtic Evening Prayers ~

This night and every night

grant to me light.

This night and every night

grant to me peace.

This night and every night

grant to me rest.

This night and every night

grant to me grace.

This night and every night

grant to me joy. 

~~~~~~

May the God of peace

bring peace to this house.

May the Son of peace

bring peace to this house.

May the Spirit of peace

bring peace to this house,

this night, and all nights.

We are so fortunate to have a wealth of Celtic Prayers that have been handed down for centuries.  Some of our daily prayers were not written down for 100s of years.  Because we are so used to written records, it is difficult for us to imagine our ancestors’ capacity to memorize.  They knew songs, stories, lengthy legends, farming wisdom, and detailed facts about herbs and plants by memory.  In early US history, children memorized poetry, songs, and stories.  They might be expected to “recite” at the dinner table, at school, or for special occasions.  We know now that memorizing has definite emotional and neurological benefits!

Whenever I find a Celtic prayer I haven’t seen before, I am grateful for my ancestors who memorized and passed on these gems of heartful and lyrical verse!  We are also blessed because the Celtic people considered all of Creation to be sacred!  We could use more of that right now.  Maybe people would pause or at least think twice before dropping bombs, chopping down forests for paper, or polluting water supplies.  As we do our best to live these prayers, remember you are in Good Company,  and you are Being a Blessing in the World.

~ Celtic Morning Prayer ~

I arise today

(First millennium - Bridgid of Gael)

~ Celtic Evening Prayer ~

God bless the corners of this house 

and all the lintel blessed,

And bless the hearth and bless the board 

and bless each place of rest,

And bless each door that opens as wide 

to strangers as to kin,

And bless each crystal window pane 

that lets the starlight in,

And bless the rooftree overhead 

and every sturdy wall.

The peace of man. 

The peace of God. 

With peace and love for all. 

Have you wondered why we use Morning and Evening Prayers?  We know from their early history that Celtic people wove their prayers into daily activities, beginning with the first light of the Sun.  They were immersed in the beauty and wonder of Creation every day.  They understood their survival and well-being could improve as they aligned themselves with Creation.  They could find peace and strength and delight in Creation.  Their lives were not easy.  For centuries, they had to be resourceful and diligent just to survive.

Right now, we are going through a very difficult time.  We live with an undercurrent of uncertainty.  Many of the political and social systems we have relied on in the past are not working.  Some people are preaching and teaching fear and hatred.  We know that fear interferes with making good decisions and that hatred is a downward path to destruction.  The Celtic people understood this as well.  When we begin the morning with an awareness of our Creator and Creation, we are setting the focus and tone of our whole day.  When we end with a prayer of gratitude and blessing, we sleep better!  And, we become a Blessing!

~ Morning Prayer ~

Christ above me,   Christ below me,

Christ before me,   Christ behind me,

Christ within me.

Christ be on my right,    Christ be on my left,

Christ when I sit down,   Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I arise.

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me.

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me.

Christ in every eye that sees me.

Christ in every ear that hears me.

~ Evening Prayer ~

Blessing of the Three

The Sacred Three

My Fortress Be

Encircling Me.

Come and be round,

My hearth, my home.

Fend thou my kin

And every sleeping thing within

From scathe, from sin.

Thy care, our peace

Through mid of night

To light’s release.

In the Celtic tradition, the Bible is considered the Little Book, and Creation is the Big Book.  We also know that Jesus’ teachings were originally brought to the island of Britain by Joseph of Arimathea.  He arrived by boat and walked inland to the area now known as Glastonbury Abby.  According to the legend, 11 or 12 others came with him, bringing the Gospel to the Celtic people.  The Celts did not read or write.  Their teachings and traditions were passed on through stories, handed down through generations.

They paid great attention to Creation because that is how they survived.  Joseph and his friends taught “the Gospel” through stories.  The Celtic people already lived in the great mystery of Creation, so learning about Jesus just made good sense.  Instead of hearing “the Gospel” as Jews, living in Judea, they heard it as a natural part of Creation.  Christianity grew this way until after the literate Romans arrived in 43 AD. 

~ Morning Prayer ~

Morning has broken like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for them springing fresh from the world

Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from Heaven

Like the first dewfall on the first grass

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden

Sprung in completeness where His feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning

Born of the one light, Eden saw play

Praise with elation, praise every morning

God's recreation of the New Day.

~ Evening Prayer ~

May the peace of the silent stars be yours.  

May the peace of the quiet lanes be yours.  

    May the peace of the deep blue ocean be yours. 

      May the peace of the Son of Peace be always yours. 

                 May the peace of the Spirit be ours this night.

                 May the peace of the Son of Peace be ours this night.  

                  May the peace of the Father be ours this night, 

                   Each morning, each evening, and for evermore.

GOD Bless America, Land that I Love !!!

There Are Very Good Things Happening Right Now !!!

Because of the Inherent Goodness of Millions of People all around the World, we will come through the current Insanity.  And, we will create a Better World !!!

Celtic Daily Prayers for the Week of June 28, 2026

Christ above me,   Christ below me,

Christ before me,   Christ behind me,

Christ within me.

Christ be on my right,    Christ be on my left,

Christ when I sit down,   Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I arise.

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me.

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me.

Christ in every eye that sees me.

Christ in every ear that hears me.

~ Evening Prayers ~

And the peace of the smallest stone be our peace. 

May the stillness of the stars watch over us. 

And may the everlasting music of the Wave lull us to rest."

In the name of the Father, 

and of the Son, 

and of the Holy Spirit. 

Sleep, O sleep in the calm of each calm. 

Sleep, O sleep in the guidance of all guidance."

Sunday, June 21 is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere when the northern axis of the Earth is tilted toward the Sun.  During Summer, our hemisphere is exposed to the direct rays of the Sun, making it our major growing season for fruits, grains, and vegetables.

Before the Roman invasion, the ancient Celtic people celebrated the Summer Solstice as a sacred fire festival.  It was referred to in Gaelic as grianstad (meaning "sun stop") and focused primarily on agriculture, protection, and fertility.  Hilltop fires known as Balefires, were the center of solstice celebrations.  The fires were lit at sunset on the eve of the solstice and kept burning until the next day’s sunset.  Ash and embers from the sacred fires were scattered across farming fields to bless the soil and hopefully guarantee a bountiful harvest.  The ashes also helped restore nutrients to fields.  The Celts understood their survival depended on their ability to live in harmony with Mother Nature. 

Many famous megalithic structures, like Stonehenge or Newgrange, were actually built by older Neolithic societies thousands of years before the Celts arrived.  The Celtic tribes recognized their solar alignments, and reused these ancient stone circles for feasting, storytelling, music, and tribal weddings. 

~ Celtic Morning Prayer ~

I arise today, through the Strength of Heaven:

Light of Sun, Radiance of Moon,

Splendour of Fire, Speed of Lightning,

Swiftness of Wind,  Depth of Sea,

Stability of Earth, Firmness of Rock!

~ Evening Prayer ~

Deep peace of the running wave to you.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you.

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.

Deep peace of the shining stars to you.

Deep peace of the Infinite Peace to you.

In May 2015, Peter Wohlleben, a German forester, published The Hidden Life of Trees.  I have always loved Trees, so I got the book and read it at night before falling asleep.  I was fascinated by his discoveries about the unseen and amazing lives of Trees.  Reading that book confirmed my sense of wonder about Trees and Forests and Soil.  Eleven years later, we know even more about our amazing world of Tree communities and Fungi and Root systems and so much more.  Trees are intricate, highly functional, and support all our lives!  Where would we be without the goodness of Trees ?

As we learn more about the extraordinary nature of Creation, it is easier for us to understand the Celtic tradition that all Creation is Sacred.  Based on their prayers and traditions, Celtic people experienced Creation as an inherent and continual expression of the Creator.  Even though their daily lives were often very challenging, Creation was their treasure of food, remedies, life lessons, beauty, and humor, all from the gracious bounty of our Creator.  Their faith was rooted in their experience of the natural world as a living sanctuary where the divine is deeply and eternally present.

~ Celtic Morning Prayer ~

“You are above me, O God

You are beneath.

 You are in Air. 

You are in Earth.

You are in water.

You are in Fire.

 You are here beside me.

 You are within.

  O God of heaven, you have made your home on earth

 in the body of Creation.  

This day, kindle within me a love for you in all things.” 

~ Celtic Evening Prayer ~

Come to us this night, O God,

Come to us with light.

Let the tools be stored away, 

let the work be over and done.

We light a light in the name of the Maker,

Who lit the world and breathed the breath of life for us.

We light a light in the name of the Son,

Who saved the world 

and stretched out his hand to us.