Leave me alone with God as much as may be.
As the tide draws the waters close in upon the shore,
Make me an island, set apart,
alone with you, God, holy to you.
Then with the turning of the tide
prepare me to carry your presence to the busy world beyond,
the world that rushes in on me
till the waters come again and fold me back to you.
Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne, my patron saint, died on this day in the year 651. Bishop Lightfoot described him as the Apostle of the English.
This prayer is popularly attributed to St Aidan on the internet. I do not know how strong the evidence is for his authorship or when the prayer appears in the history of the British Church. I welcome any information anyone might have about it.
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What a beautiful prayer.
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Reblogged this on A DARING EXISTENCE.
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Many years, Father-
Dana
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Reblogged this on the elves are heading west and commented:
One of my patrons. Spent several hours conversing with him in his church on Lindisfarne during my Sabbatical . . . it was a very wet day!
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Thank you for sharing this beautiful prayer, Father!
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exitus, reditus.
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