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| Image by Tony Armstrong-Sly |
Gobnait
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A GREETING
I delight to do your will, O my God.
(Psalm 40:8a)
A READING
When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
(Matthew 2:9-11)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
(Psalm 90:14)
A BLESSING
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
- traditional Irish blessing, found on Celtic Titles
VERSE OF THE DAY
When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
and you renew the face of the ground.
(Psalm 104:30)
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| Irish postage stamp commemorating "Nollaig n mBan," a celebration of the work of women that takes place on Epiphany. |
On this last day of our devotional, we arrive at the feast of Epiphany, which has traditionally marked the arrival of the Magi and their adoration of the child Jesus. In Celtic Christian tradition, however, Epiphany is also celebrated as “Nollaig na mBan,” when the work of women is especially lifted up, after the long Christmas season. Families gather and toast the women who keep their lives going. It spans all ages and generations. In parts of Ireland to this day, women are given the day off and men take care of the household. At the end of the day, the women come to church and hear a mass, at which they light candles for the three Magi. Traditionally, they then return home, and with their families eat what remains of the Christmas cake and burn the holly that has been with them through the days since Christmas, in an outdoor fire.
A Celtic tradition of the fifth and sixth century monks was to search out the place of their resurrection. This entailed voyaging in the spirit of ‘peregrinatio,’ the oar-less journey, that we have explored in other days. The sixth-century monastic Gobnait longed to find such a place for herself. She voyaged out in a boat with some companions and landed on the Aran Islands. She had been previously told by an angel that the place of her resurrection would have nine deer grazing. The apparition finally took place near the river Sullane in Ballyvourney, where she went on to found a monastic community. She is the patron saint of bees. With her bees she made honey, and even protected her community from occasional invaders by summoning swarms to act on her behalf.
The one Celtic Wheel of the Year festival we have yet to name is Lughnasa, which falls in the height of the summer and at the very beginning of the early harvest season, around August 1st. It marks the half way point between the summer solstice and the Autumn equinox. Lughnasa, like Samhain, Imbolc and Beltane, the cross-quarter festivals of the calendar, helps us to be conscious of the changing times of the land. Of the four festivals, Lughnasa is the most celebratory, the most alive with joy.
The music of Nadia Birkenstock was also featured on Day 1. In the youtube notes for today's track, she writes that she composed this melody “on my smaller harp, Iona, that I took into the forest, every afternoon, sitting in the shade on mossy stones. The melody fragment that first emerged when I sat down to write this was calm and confident, and in the essence, I think, this piece is about reminding yourself where your strength comes from in challenging times.” Composed during the pandemic, it can speak to us now in other ways. Making time to spend connecting with the earth, its beauty, its mystery and its power, is an essential part of Celtic spirituality. Paying homage to the Christ child happens when we take a walk and absorb the beauty of our surroundings, when we stop to watch birds and listen to the rustling movement of wildlife. The adoration we offer Jesus is our deep desire to fulfill God’s will for an abundant Creation. In these days of climate catastrophes, it is easy to become overwhelmed by what is not going right. By stepping out into the created world, the nature all around us reminds us of all that is still to be treasured.
As you go forward into the days of the Epiphany season, how can you hold all that is precious in Creation in your heart? How can you lean into the wisdom of the earth, knowing Jesus walks with you there?
Blessed Epiphany!
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Today marks the end of the LC† Come Holy Darkness devotional project. Grateful thanks to all who participated, including all who commented on Facebook and wrote emails. It has been a rich blessing! Grateful as always to Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson for their support. You can continue to access the devotions by scrolling to the bottom (on most devices) of any page and either seeing a list of previous dates there, or (in the case of mobile) by clicking on the banner heading at the top of the blog and scrolling down.
May the peace of the Christ child bless you this Epiphany and always.
See you in five weeks for Lent! - Sherry Coman
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| Image by Tony Armstrong-Sly |
This devotional project is dedicated to the memory of Dagmar Weller, a longtime supporter of the LC† devotions.
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LC† Come Holy Darkness is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help to support extended offerings throughout the year.
Thank you and peace be with you!
