Celtic Prayers from Iona

by John Philip Newell, J. Philip Newell

Based on the rhythms and images of Celtic oral tradition, these morning and evening prayers are a week's cycle of daily worship used by the ecumenical community of Iona, the most famous of Celtic shrines. Written in calligraphy. †

Genres: Prayer, Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction, Poetry, Theology, Christianity

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

JOHN PHILIP NEWELL is an internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher and popular speaker and the widely read author of several books, including Listening for the Heartbeat of God and A New Harmony. The former Warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland, he is the founder of The School of Earth and Soul (A Celtic Initiative of Study, Spiritual Practice and Compassionate Action) and teaches regularly in California, New England, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimages to Iona.

Reviews

[Justin Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been using this wonderful Celtic Benediction devotional for a few years now, and it has helped me immensely on this epic journey of faith.
I love the relatable prayers of adoration, confession, petition, struggle, panic, confusion, joy, praise, and gratitude, and the beautiful Celtic artwork that is in the book.

[Becka the Book Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newell and his wife Ali were co-wardens of the Iona Community from 1988-1992. During his time there, members and associates of the community expressed their need for ‘something like a prayer book’ for personal use. These requests, coupled with his own desire for discipline and structure in daily prayer, resulted in this lovely text.

Newell credits Alexander Carmichael’s work of the late nineteenth century for preserving much of the ancient Celtic tradition in the form of previously unrecorded Gaelic songs and prayers, and draws inspiration from the rhythms and images of the Celtic understanding of the inseparable intertwining of the life of heaven and the life of earth.

Celtic Prayers from Iona is based on the weekly cycle observed at the Abbey. The prayers are short and simple, yet imbued with deep piety. Though grounded in tradition over a thousand years old, the words are strikingly relevant for our world today.

The slim volume also includes a brief introduction to Celtic Christianity and a summary of the history of the community and Abbey at Iona.

Moreover, the physical book itself is aesthetically pleasing. The prayers and scripture readings are set in calligraphy on well-proportioned pages, uncrowded and easily readable.

[Julie Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this little book of prayers that is set up as a mini worship service!

[Beckabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newell and his wife Ali were co-wardens of the Iona Community from 1988-1992. During his time there, members and associates of the community expressed their need for ‘something like a prayer book’ for personal use. These requests, coupled with his own desire for discipline and structure in daily prayer, resulted in this lovely text.

Newell credits Alexander Carmichael’s work of the late nineteenth century for preserving much of the ancient Celtic tradition in the form of previously unrecorded Gaelic songs and prayers, and draws inspiration from the rhythms and images of the Celtic understanding of the inseparable intertwining of the life of heaven and the life of earth.

Celtic Prayers from Iona is based on the weekly cycle observed at the Abbey. The prayers are short and simple, yet imbued with deep piety. Though grounded in tradition over a thousand years old, the words are strikingly relevant for our world today.

The slim volume also includes a brief introduction to Celtic Christianity and a summary of the history of the community and Abbey at Iona.

Moreover, the physical book itself is aesthetically pleasing. The prayers and scripture readings are set in calligraphy on well-proportioned pages, uncrowded and easily readable.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great addition to one's collection of prayer books! This has become my absolute favorite. Rooted in an earthy spirituality (the creation story of Genesis looms large), this collection of daily prayers help one account for the gratuitous and sheer goodness found in the rhythms of everyday life. Against the backdrop of this original blessing there is woven a thread of intercession meant to attend to and extend healing toward all that does not reflect this goodness, whether within one's own life or the life of the world.

Both morning and evening follow the same pattern: It begins with an opening prayer and an invitation to silence. This is followed by two short (i.e., one verse) Scripture readings (one psalm, one gospel), prayers of thanksgiving and intercession, and finally a closing prayer. Throughout the book are beautifully illustrated art pieces taken from the Lindisfarne Gospels.

This is my first of Newell's books and will certainly not be my last.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little prayer book, written in an attractive calligraphy, for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in a modern version of ancient Celtic spirituality. It provides a simple schedule for weekday morning and evening prayers, with Psalms and Gospel readings (provided in a lectionary in the back of the book). It comes out of the Iona Community which is located in the rebuilt abbey on Iona where Saint Columba and a few other Irish monks in the 6th century lived. The medieval abbey was destroyed in the 16th century Reformation but restored in the 20th century by the Church of Scotland minister, George MacLeod. The present day Iona Community, while affiliated with the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), is ecumenical in its outreach and membership.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've taken quite a few devotional and prayer books for a spin over the past few years, and this is my favorite so far. It's patterned after the major themes of daily prayer of the Iona Abbey: justice and peace; healing; goodness of creation and care for the earth; commitment to Christ; communion of the whole church; and welcome and hospitality.
It has prayers and meditations for Monday-Saturday that can be repeated each week, and scripture readings in the index that last for the entire year. The Celtic prayers are quite beautiful, many of them taken from the Carmina Gadelica.
Recommended to people who want focus and guided mediation and prayer for their morning and evening devotions.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Thanks be to you O God
that I have risen this day
To the rising of this life itself.
May it be a day of blessing,
O God of every gift,
A day of new beginnings given.
Help me to avoid every sin
And the source of every sin to forsake
And as the mist scatters from the crest of the hills
May each ill haze clear
from my my soul O God."

A set of weekly prayers bundled around specific topics and presented in simple but beautiful hand-written script.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use this book to guide my daily prayers, so in essence, I will never "finish" reading this book. It's a wonderful mind-clearing guide to a closer relationship with God -- it clears away the junk from one's day so that one can be in a frank, open conversation with God.

[Carmen Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading in a regular basics Twice a Day, Morning Prayers and Evening Prayers, It is a weekday Lectionary of Psalms and Gospel, these readings are selected for use throughout Church's year, which begins with Advent.

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really neat prayer book that gives you daily & nightly prayers you can read.

[Rachel]

This is the first book I've ever seriously consider stealing from the library. Which is ironic considering it's a prayer book. I need to search every used book store for it now.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text uses the seven days of creation as a model for morning and evening prayer.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please be aware that Celtic Prayers from Iona is a different book from Celtic Benediction by the same author, though they are listed as different editions of the same book on Goodreads. Their content is completely discrete.

Celtic Prayers from Iona is a devotional guide following the foci of the Iona community: justice and peace; healing; goodness of creation and earth care; commitment to Christ; communion of heaven and earth; and welcome and hospitality. Each day (Monday-Saturday) has a morning and evening liturgy, beginning with a passage from Psalm 139 for meditation and silence. An opening prayer/thanksgiving follows, after which is guidance for prayers of thanks, the Lord's prayer, and Scripture readings (listed in the appendix for the entire liturgical year). Silence follows, succeeded by intercessions and ended with a closing prayer.

I intended to use this one like Celtic Benediction, praying the liturgy as a supplement to my own devotional practices, but this book is intended to be its own devotional practice. I'd have gotten more out of it if I'd chosen this as my discipline for the year, but since I curtailed its use, I wasn't as invested in it. Perhaps I'll return to this someday, but for now, I have such a long list of devotional practices/resources to use that it'll be a while before I can.

No particular dislike--I'm the problem, not this book. Still recommended to anyone interested in Celtic spirituality and lay religious communities.

[Debra Waites · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a daily meditation book, one for the morning, one for the evening. The artwork is interesting. It covers one full week, seven days. If you use it for a year, you will be praying the prayers or considering the scripture verses fifty two times in a year.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love to read written prayers and borrow them quite a bit...this is a gem.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good program for a weekly meditation practice. It has morning and evening prayers.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little nerdy at times, but not bad over all.

[Chrisbowers2007 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great prayer book for morning and evening prayer time.

[Frostik Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

bought a second copy to give away ...

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoyed using this as a shared prayer time, mornings and evenings.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set up to be a prayer book for the Iona community - this book engages prayer two times a day

[Andy Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

CELTIC BENEDICTION: Morning and Night Prayer, by J Philip Newell

Essential resource! The most refreshing and edifying liturgies I have ever read, communicating “a sense of the interweaving of what is seen with what is unseen, of the spiritual world and the world of matter conjoined.” (Preface)

Simple, aesthetic, practical. Great work!
..
Samples of the liturgy include:

That wisdom was born with me in the womb
thanks be to you, O God.
That your ways have been written into
the human body and soul
there to be read and reverenced
thanks be to you.
Let me be attentive
to the truths of these living texts.
Let me learn
of the law etched into the whole of creation
that gave birth to the mystery of life
and feeds and renews it day by day.
Let me discern the law of love in my own heart
and in knowing it
obey it.
Let me be set free by love, O God.
Let me be set free to love.
..
Closing Prayer:
Glory be to you, O God,
for the gift of life
unfolding through those who have gone before me.
Glory be to you, O God,
for your life planted within my soul
and in every soul coming into the world.
Glory be to you, O God,
for the grace of new beginnings
placed before me in every moment and encounter of life.
Glory, glory, glory
for the grace of new beginnings in every moment of life.
..
"Thanks be to you O God
that I have risen this day
To the rising of this life itself.
May it be a day of blessing,
O God of every gift,
A day of new beginnings given.
Help me to avoid every sin
And the source of every sin to forsake
And as the mist scatters from the crest of the hills
May each ill haze clear
from my soul O God."
…..

[Carol Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a dear little book! I have been reading Pete's Greig's book, How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People, and he talked about Celtic Prayers. So I hopped on over to my library website, and this was the only one they had, but it is a simple little book with one week of prayers beautifully calligraphed and a different daily prayer focus of justice and peace, healing, the goodness of creation and care for the earth, commitment to Christ, communion of heaven and earth, welcome and hospitality. There is also a guide to which Psalms and Gospel to read for that particular day of the year. Lovely and simple.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A seven-day devotional of morning and evening meditations written in the tradition of Celtic Christianity. Newell's prayers and scripture meditations are beautiful and moving, emphasizing nature as an outflow of God's character and the goodness of God's image in man. I used this book for my devotional time for a week and was refreshed.

[Kristin Nare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the connection to Iona, one of the most influential little spots on the face of the earth for the spread of Christianity. I would have appreciated more depth of doctrinal truth. But many of the prayers are quite good. Look out for the little bit of pantheism. No, God is not IN His creation, but separate from it.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

The prayers are nice but offer the usual effete Christianity of the West.

[Lisa Frauens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this little book of short prayer services for each morning and evening. They can be used corporately or individually. The Celtic imagery is simple yet profound.

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely prayers for Ordinary Time, loosely themed around the seven days of creation, but still carrying the thematic threads beloved by the Iona community.

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful guide for morning and evening prayer that reinforces our relationships with the world and all its inhabitants. Very accessible.