Celtic Daily Light

Extracts from Ray Simpson's Book

Readings for Friday 23rd April 2021

Spring leaves The glow of the Spirit

Be aglow with the Spirit.

Romans 12: 11

If you would get the centre of your soul right, you should first of all get ready the needed materials, so that the heavenly Architect can begin to make the building. The house must be light and airy, with windows, which are the five senses, so that the light of heaven, the Sun of righteousness, can penetrate to our inner dwelling. The door of the house is Christ in person, for he said ‘I am the door.’

When mind and heart are united in prayer, without any distraction, you feel that spiritual warmth which comes from Christ and fills the whole inner being with joy and peace. We have to withdraw from the visible world so that the light of Christ can come down into our heart. Closing our eyes, concentrating our attention on Christ, we must try to unite the mind with the heart, and, from the depths of our whole being, we must call on the Name of our Lord, saying ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.’

To the degree that love for the Lord Jesus warms the human heart, one finds in the Name of Jesus a sweetness that is the source of abiding peace.

Seraphim of Zarov

Let us recall again St. Patrick’s experience:

The love and fear of God increased more and more in me and my faith began to grow, and my spirit to be stirred up, so that in one day I would say as many as a hundred prayers and nearly as many at night, even when I was staying out in the woods or on the mountain. And I used to rise before dawn for prayer, in snow and frost and rain, and I used to feel no ill effect and there was no slackness in me. I now realise it was because the Spirit was glowing in me.

St. Patrick

  • Eternal Creator of day and night
  • cleanse us by your refining fire
  • kindle in us the Pentecostal flame
  • and make our hearts burn with heavenly desires.