M. Meaers
The Heart in Celtic Spirituality
Our Gaelic and Gallic roots are closely interwoven. Among the strands would be the symbolism of the heart, and especially of the Heart of Jesus, as a recurring theme.
I can imagine Madeleine Sophie resonating profoundly with the old Irish saying
"There is a gentleness at the heart of life. That heart is Christ"
Those few words sum up so much of Celtic Christianity: the centrality of the heart, the contemplative outlook, the sense of the sacred, the mystics' vision of reality.
Other strands would include great love of Scripture, familiarity with the saints, journeying with and for Christ and a passion to make the Gospel known to all creation. If we add to that "a delight in beauty, whether in nature, art or poetry, and a rootedness in the earth and the things of daily life, it would be hard to say whether we are describing our foundress or our Celtic ancestors.
Moira Donnelly rscj
Province of Ireland – Scotland
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