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Daily Devotional
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:11
It was decision time. The group would split temporarily at this point. Those who wanted to see the marble quarry would go with Alan, and those who chose to go ahead to St. Columba's Bay would continue with Jan and wait there for the first group. I went with Jan, to spend some quiet time at the bay. As I sat in silence on the grassy hill overlooking the heavily pebbled bay, with a gentle breeze softly blowing my hair and sprinkles of water cooling my cheeks, a deep peace entered into me. I was glad I had decided in favor of taking time for contemplation.
When the first group again joined us, Jan explained that St. Columba arrived on Iona on the day of Pentecost in 563, after losing a lawsuit brought against him in Ireland for hand-copying another man's Bible. He and his twelve monks climbed the high hill near the bay to confirm that they could no longer see Ireland. In this way, Columba turned his back on his error and began anew. Thus the name, "The Bay of Turning the Back."
As part of our meditation at this spot, we were asked to pick up two pebbles from the beach. We threw one into the sea as a symbol of something in our life we'd like to leave behind, and we brought the other back with us, as a sign of new commitment in our heart. The peace of this place deepened for me as I cast away the stone, turning my back on envy, and placed the stone of new commitment in my bag to take home.
What would you like to cast out of your life? Perhaps you'll decide to find a stone to represent it, and one to symbolize your commitment to your own spiritual journey, casting one away and placing the other in an important place. It will bring peace to your heart.
Bless to us, O God,
The moon that is above us,
The earth that is beneath us,
The friends who are around us,
Your image deep within us.
(Traditional Celtic prayer)
By Marilyn Morgan King
Submitted by Richard
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:11
It was decision time. The group would split temporarily at this point. Those who wanted to see the marble quarry would go with Alan, and those who chose to go ahead to St. Columba's Bay would continue with Jan and wait there for the first group. I went with Jan, to spend some quiet time at the bay. As I sat in silence on the grassy hill overlooking the heavily pebbled bay, with a gentle breeze softly blowing my hair and sprinkles of water cooling my cheeks, a deep peace entered into me. I was glad I had decided in favor of taking time for contemplation.
When the first group again joined us, Jan explained that St. Columba arrived on Iona on the day of Pentecost in 563, after losing a lawsuit brought against him in Ireland for hand-copying another man's Bible. He and his twelve monks climbed the high hill near the bay to confirm that they could no longer see Ireland. In this way, Columba turned his back on his error and began anew. Thus the name, "The Bay of Turning the Back."
As part of our meditation at this spot, we were asked to pick up two pebbles from the beach. We threw one into the sea as a symbol of something in our life we'd like to leave behind, and we brought the other back with us, as a sign of new commitment in our heart. The peace of this place deepened for me as I cast away the stone, turning my back on envy, and placed the stone of new commitment in my bag to take home.
What would you like to cast out of your life? Perhaps you'll decide to find a stone to represent it, and one to symbolize your commitment to your own spiritual journey, casting one away and placing the other in an important place. It will bring peace to your heart.
Bless to us, O God,
The moon that is above us,
The earth that is beneath us,
The friends who are around us,
Your image deep within us.
(Traditional Celtic prayer)
By Marilyn Morgan King
Submitted by Richard
