For the Celtic Christians, the connection we have with God can be directly related to the connection we have with the natural world around us. They didn't just use the natural world as a metaphor or as symbolism, but they actually connected with God through it, saw God in it and were one with God within it. They fully understood the separation of the presence of God within creation and the creation itself, but they understood creation to be an expression of the divine. When we dwell in the divine, when we are led by the Spirit, we bear the fruit of the Spirit: that is, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). When we follow the will of God, we dwell in the divine and we produce this fruit. A catechism which is attributed to the fourth-century Celtic monk Ninian says this: Question: What is best in the world? Answer: To do the will of the Maker. Question: What is that will? Answer: That we should live according to the laws of creation. Question: How do we know those laws? Answer: By study. Question: What tool has the Maker provided for this study? Answer: The intellect. Question: And what is the fruit of study? Answer: To perceive the eternal word of God reflected in every plant and insect, every bird and animal, and every man and woman. #celticadvent #2022

Posted by Anam Cara Abbey at 2022-12-06 11:05:25 UTC