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Novena in Preparation for National Holy Wells Day -18th June 2017

Novena in Preparation for National Holy Wells Day  -18th June 2017

"May the sense of solidarity and open trust that united prayer brings be experienced by all who participate in this pilgrimage across the land."

 Fr Neal Carlin

The Columba Community of Prayer and Reconciliation are delighted to be associated with the Loving Sister Earth Movement whose aim is to:

"Foster a movement of prayer for the Care of Our Common Home which will be rooted in our own sacred ground and carried by our people."

This movement which addresses the tragedy of the pollution of the environment draws inspiration from our own Celtic saints' spirituality and from Pope Francis' letter Laudato Si. 

His encyclical is pointed in its understanding of creation as a holy and precious gift from God to be reverenced by all men and women. But the Pope also hopes to offer "ample motivation" to Christians and other believers to "care for nature." (Par. 64)

The issue of clean water for everyone is central; the idea of literally going back to the ancient Holy Wells to pray, reflect and to seek wisdom for renewal of the face of the earth, is indeed inspirational.


NOVENA PRAYER 

FOR THE PROTECTION OF WATER


O God of All Creation,

Teach us how to protect Water

On which all living things depend, plants, animals, fish, birds, humans.

Help us to ensure that Water may always flow freely and purely for all of your Creation.

May Your Spirit soften our hearts and enlighten us

So that we may act responsibly to protect Water,

The vital source of life in Our Common Home.

The Columba Community has been inspired by the lives of the Celtic saints of 5th – 12th centuries. As a result they have developed, in honour of these, a Celtic Peace Garden shaped like a map of Ireland.

It is like a step back to the future for the increasing numbers who visit and pray there.

These saints of old saw little or no distinction between the natural and supernatural, between the divine and human.

There was no such thing as the mundane as all is sacred. All is holy. God is in all things. May we honour and imitate these men and women today.

It is against this background and their own experience as a Basic Christian Community who have developed four apostolic centres that they offer you, the reader, some ideas for a Novena Prayer to begin on our patron saint Columba's feast day 9th June, and to finish on the eve of 18th June.

It is hoped that many will pray at their local holy wells across the island of Ireland on Sunday 18th June.

The hope is that this Sunday will be a beginning for many who feel called to develop small Basic Christian Communities to help renew both faith and the face of the earth.


Website details:           www.columbacommunity.com

                                     www.lovingsisterearth.com

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Homily - World Day of Peace - Bishop McKeown

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