"Every Earthly Blessing" by Esther de Waal (part 1)

Introduction...

With this first article, I would like to share with you the reviews of the books that I have had the opportunity to read and explore during my training. The review section is meant to be an opportunity to introduce you to the reading of certain books and to stimulate your reflections, which if you like, you can share with us through our email or directly in the comments of the post.

The first book I want to present to you was written in 1992 by a great scholar, writer and retreat leader in the area of monastic spirituality - with particular reference to Benedictine spirituality - and Celtic spirituality. I am talking about Esther de Waal.

I thought I would publish the reviews in instalments. Below you will find the first part.

Enjoy your reading! 

In the Light and Warmth of the Sacred Flame,

Sr. Hallyson Abigail

"Every Earthly Blessing: Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition" by Esther de Waal (part 1)

Right from the beginning, Esther highlights the fact that Creation is a gift of God to humankind, and for this reason we should all be grateful and give thanks for the wonderful gift that He has given us, taking nothing for granted:

"Fire was never taken for granted. It was seen as one of the miraculous gifts of God, given so that people have warmth and light, and it was for them at the same time a continual reminder that they too needed constant renewal".

Throughout history, man has strived to become master of the Earth, to gain power and control over it. What Esther and Celtic spirituality remind us of is that we are only pilgrims in a world that is not ours, but God's. And for that we must be thankful for what we have, and not complain about what we lack.

Constant prayer seems to make people more aware of this "precariousness" and of the precious gift to which they have been given access. "Praying without ceasing” seems to make people more aware of themselves and of others, as if through prayer they gain access to a kind of insight into the meaning of life and the world. Through the words of prayer and ritual gestures, we give meaning to life and to every single activity, transforming an ordinary task into a gift and into something full of energy and Light. We infuse reality with symbols and the symbols become an integral part of our connection with the Divine. We feel closer to Him, in some way:

"Saving the fire brings the thought of the saving and protecting grace of Christ, and the Saints".

It is extraordinary to note how the same instinct, which we could almost define as primordial, for incessant prayer, can be found in different traditions and in peoples who have lived far apart in space and time. There is something that lies at a deep common root of the human being.

Another extraordinary element, in my opinion, is that many of the prayers were handed down from generation to generation (and quite often by means of oral tradition) as if they were a kind of 'nursery rhyme' (and indeed the prayers contain some characteristics of poetry and music, such as the repetition of words - usually in pairs of three to symbolise the Holy Trinity, the use of alliterations and rhymes and all those figures of sound that would facilitate memorisation).

The chanted rhythm of the prayers also marked the daily activities, just as the bells mark the hours and moments of the day in a monastery. Our monastery is the world itself and our prayers are the bells that mark our lives.

Prayer accompanied every activity and made God and his Saints closer to people, highlighting God’s immanence rather than transcendence. One example is the prayer that was said to St Brigid asking her for help and support in butter production and protection of the cows during milking -

"Is was said of St Brigit that in her mountain dairy she divided her churning into twelve in honour of the apostles, and the thirteenth in honour of Christ, greater than the others and kept to be given to the poor and to guests. Hospitality has always been important".

Prayer thus took on a further meaning. It meant: “Holy Trinity of God, Christ and Holy Spirit, here I am, I entrust myself into your hands”. Praying therefore meant realising one's own fragility and vulnerability. Praying was a plea for love, protection and strength to the God of Love.

Prayer did not only accompany daily activity, but encompassed the entire cycle of death and rebirth in the succession of weeks, months, years, seasons, etc.

Esther highlights how important the number three was. It was a symbol of the Holy Trinity. The number Three stands for something perfect, because it is in continuous transformation (it transforms and creates). It is important to point out that the term 'perfection' indicates what is created. So it is a concept that involves every action, thought, gesture or project that one is about to do. The number Three is, therefore, the creative thrust that leads and unites the creative instinct of One towards the fertility of Two. Only in this way can these two forces become capable of expansion.

Prayer and life become inseparable, two parts of the same coin.

Praying unceasingly becomes a way of recognising that 'every road leads to God'.