I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,
And will not be ashamed.
And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.

  - Psalm 119.46-48

I and Pangur Ban my cat,
‘Tis a like task we are at:
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night...

Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade;
I get wisdom day and night
Turning darkness into light.

  - Anonymous, Pangur Ban, Irish, 12th century?[1]

Robin Flower’s translation of “Pangur Ban” (here just the first and last stanzas) is one of the treasures of Celtic Christian literature, one example of what this much-neglected period has to offer us today. Our scribe found new delight and significance in his labor as the Lord spoke to him through the exertions of his little Pangur Ban (“white cat”).

This poem was written in the margin of an academic manuscript by an anonymous scribe, a moment’s amusement amid the tedious, difficult, but apparently delightful work of studying the Word. The scribe, perhaps weary from his studies, contemplated his cat as it sought a mouse. And, as he did, letting this little creational drama unfold before him, God spoke to him about his own calling.

Our scribe would have worked in his monastery’s scriptorium, where, like The Scriptorium of The Fellowship of Ailbe, the Word of God was studied and annotated, and copies were readied so that others could have the Word for their ministries. In his poem, the scribe compares his love for the Word – carefully reading and copying, dutifully studying, and prayerfully meditating on every word – to his cat’s quest for a meal.

Perhaps he was put in mind of Job, who treasured God’s Word more than his necessary food (Job. 23.12). Or Jeremiah, who delighted to “eat” the Word of the Lord (Jer. 15.16). Or John, who upon eating the Word found it sweet to the taste, but bitter in the stomach because of the words of judgment it contained (Rev. 10.8-10).

Do we delight in the God’s Word? Do we even think that way? We may read the Bible, perhaps carry it to church, and maybe even enjoy some of our studies. But can we say that we delight in the Scriptures of our Lord? Do we find them as essential to daily wellbeing as the meals we eat? Does the Word daily “Turn darkness into light” in your experience?

“Practice every day…” Reading, meditating on, and studying the Bible should be a source of great joy and spiritual enrichment every day of our lives.

But we must come to this discipline not grudgingly or half-heartedly; instead, let us imagine ourselves like Pangur Ban, on a mission to locate, capture, and consume a prize. Nothing satisfies the deep desires of our souls the way Scripture can.

The more we cultivate delight in God’s Word, the more time we’ll spend in it. The more time we spend in it, the more we will delight in it.

When that begins to happen, our delighting in God’s Word will translate into joyous living according to the commandments and promises of the Lord.

Psalm 119.171-176 (Regent Square: Angels from the Realms of Glory)
With our lips we praise You, Jesus, for You teach us, full and free.
Now Your Word will ever please us; Your commandments, true shall be.
Let Your hand come forth to ease us; we Your Word choose gratefully!

For Your saving grace we plead, Lord, and Your Law is our delight.
We to live and praise You need, Lord, all Your help by day and night.
Straying sheep, we do not heed, Lord; come and seek us by Your might!

Lord, teach me to delight in Your Word!

Coming soon
Beginning this winter, Crosfigell will take you on a devotional journey through the Celtic Revival. Starting with the writings of Patrick, and working through those of Colum Cille, Columbanus, and others, we will open the spigot of this stream in historical order. Please keep us in prayer as we work on this series. Encourage your friends to subscribe to Crosfigell. And, if you’d like to familiarize yourself a bit more with the Celtic Revival, write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and request the free PDF, The Celtic Revival: A Brief Introduction. Or from our bookstore, order a copy of The Legacy of Patrick (click here).

As you pray…
Would you prayerfully consider helping The Fellowship? Take a few minutes today and ask the Lord whether He would have you share with us regarding the financial needs of this ministry. God supplies all our needs, and He does so through friends who share our vision and benefit from our ministry. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.