Celts to the Crèche
A Celtic Advent Devotional
November 15-December 24
A Forty Day Pilgrimage through the Advent Season with Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Saints
Mary with Infant Jesus from the Book of Kells. Trinity College, Dublin
- Day One 11/15: St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
- Day Two 11/16: St. Hilda of Whitby
- Day Three 11/17: St. Hereswith
- Day Four 11/18: St. Columba of Iona
- Day Five 11/19: St. Brigid of Kildare
- Day Six 11/20: St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
- Day Seven 11/21: Bishop Eadfrith of Lindisfarne
- Day Eight 11/22: St. Columbanus
- Day Nine 11/23: St. Winifred of Wales
- Day Ten 11/24: St. Fursey
- Day Eleven 11/25: St. Bertha of Kent
- Day Twelve 11/26: St. John of Beverley
- Day Thirteen 11/27: St. Ita of Ireland
- Day Fourteen 11/28: A Band of Brothers: Cedd, Chad, Cynibil, Caelin
- Day Fifteen 11/29: Abbess Ethelburga of Barking
- Day Sixteen 11/30: John O’Donohue of Ireland
- Day Seventeen 12/1: King Aldwulf
- Day Eighteen 12/2: Pelagius
- Day Nineteen 12/3: St. Bathilde of Chelles
- Day Twenty 12/4: St. Brendan the Navigator
- Day Twenty-One 12/5: Abbess Burgundofara of Faremoutiers
- Day Twenty-Two 12/6: Abbesses Beatrice &Anna of Iona Nunnery
- Day Twenty-Three 12/7: The Venerable Bede
- Day Twenty-Four 12/8 Abbess Heiu of Tadcaster
- Day Twenty-Five 12/9 St. Colman of Lindisfarne
- Day Twenty-Six 12/10 St. Bega of Bees
- Day Twenty-Seven 12/11 Abbess Aebbe of Coldingham
- Day Twenty-Eight 12/12 St. Deiniol of Wales
- Day Twenty-Nine 12/13 Abbess Ælfflæd of Whitby
- Day Thirty 12/14 St. Ninian of Whithorn
- Day Thirty-One 12/15 St. Non of Wales
- Day Thirty-Two 12/16 Abbess Werburga of Chester
- Day Thirty-Three 12/17 St. Frideswide, Abbess of Oxford
- Day Thirty-Four 12/18 Benedict Biscop of Monkwearmouth & Jarrow
- Day Thirty-Five 12/19 St. Canaire of Ireland
- Day Thirty-Six 12/20 Theodechilde, Abbess of Jouarre
- Day Thirty-Seven 12/21 St. Brendan of Birr, Muirchú, and Moneisen
- Day Thirty-Eight 12/22 St. Gertrude of Nivelles
- Day Thirty-Nine 12/23 St. Buriana of Cornwall
- Day Forty 12/24 Dr. Michelle P. Brown’s Guest Post of St. Patrick of Ireland
Celtic Advent Pilgrimage Begins!
The early Celtic monks would get into their little leather boats called coracles, paddle out to the sea, pull their oars into the boat, and pray, “Spirit, blow me to my place of Resurrection.”
Wherever they landed, was to be the place chosen by the Spirit where they would live, share the Gospel, and experience their future Day of Resurrection at the end of their life. In our sacred imagination, let us jump into our little coracle and ask the Spirit to blow us to places we never dreamed or imagined as we journey together with the Celts to the Crèche, where Christ is born anew in our lives this holy season.
A Note: Thank you so much for joining me on this Celts to the Crèche 40 days of Advent pilgrimage. I am passionate about the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon saints, so if there is too much information for you, just read the first short section, browse through the photos, and scroll down the page to the “Meditation.” You will still get a good sense of that saint’s life and work. It is my hope that as you read these daily devotionals throughout this Advent season, that one of these saints may touch your life and become a soul friend. May this Advent season be especially “thin” for all of us.
Blow, Spirit, Blow
Leather Coracle. photo from boats depot.com
A Celtic Prayer for Pilgrimage
God be with us at each stop and each sea;
At each lying down and each rising up;
In the trough of the waves;
On the crest of the billows;
Each step of the journey we take.