Catholic Celtic Prayers
Hymn at the Lighting of the Paschal Candle
Fiery creator of fire,
light giver of light,
life and author of life,
salvation and bestower of salvation,
in case the lamps should abandon
the joys of this night,
you who do not desire our death,
give light to our breast.
To those wandering from Egypt,
you bestow the double grace,
you show the veil of cloud,
and give the nocturnal light.
with a pillar of cloud in the day,
you protect the people as they go,
with a pillar of fire at evening,
you dispel the night with light.
You call out to your servant from the flame,
you do not spurn the bush of thorns,
and though you are consuming fire,
you do not burn what you illumine.
Now it is time that the cloudy bee-bread
should be consumed, all impurity boiled away, and the waxen flesh should shine
with the glow of the Holy Spirit.
You store now in the recesses of the comb the sweet food of the divine honey,
and purifying the inmost cells of the heart,
you have filled them with your word;
that the swarm of the new brood,
chosen by your mouth and spirit,
may leave their burdens and win heaven
on wings now free from care.
May Your Holy Angels
May your holy angels, O Christ Jesus, Son of the living God,
tend our sleep, our rest, our bright bed.
Let them reveal true visions to us in our sleep, O high prince of the universe, O great and mysterious king.
May no demons, no injury or terrifying dreams disturb our rest, our prompt and swift repose.
May our waking, our work, and our living be holy; our sleep, our rest, without hindrance or harm.
O God, Lord of Creation
O God, Lord of Creation, I invoke you. You are my gracious counselor. Do not turn your face toward me, for you are my judgement without betrayal.
You are my king. You are my law. Yours is my flesh, my body. I love you, blessed Christ, for my soul is yours tonight.
Let me not conceal it, O King. May I be in your royal dwelling all my days. Do not leave me behind, O God.
Excerpt from the Broom of Devotion
O holy Jesus,
gentle friend,
morning star,
midday sun adorned,
brilliant flame of righteousness, life everlasting and eternity,
fountain ever-new, ever-living, ever-lasting,
heart’s desire of patriarchs,
longing of prophets,
master of apostles and disciples,
giver of the law,
prince of the new testament,
Saviour of the saved,
Judge of doom,
Son of the merciful Father without mother in heaven,
Son of the true virgin Mary, without father on earth,
true and loving brother
Poem to the Virgin Mary - Welsh Poems
Blessed virgin who bore God and took care of him with tender love,
Bright, with goodness full,
Mary miracle, the lion’s precious love,
Virgin once, and virgin still