My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings...
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it springthe issues of life.

  - Proverbs 4.20, 23

O beloved, truly chaste Christ, to whom every eye is clear, may the grace of the sevenfold Spirit come to keep [my thoughts], to hold them in check.

Rule this heart of mine, O swift God of the elements, that you may be my love, and that I may do your will!

  - Anonymous, “On the Flightiness of Thought,” Irish, 8th/9th century[1]

Our thoughts can sometimes get out of hand, and our hearts can become unruly, so that we entertain ideas or harbor affections that are not conducive to love for God and neighbors.

Perhaps you’ve experienced this?

The heart and mind are two of the components of the human spirit, or soul. Along with the conscience they make up that mysterious gearbox of spiritual energy which processes thoughts and feelings, ideas and impressions, through the grid of values, priorities, and will, into words and deeds.

What happens in our souls determines what we say and do. What we say and do defines who we are. The person who is growing spiritually conducts an ongoing vigil over his soul, keeping heart, mind, and conscience in line with the teaching of Scripture.

The consequences of not paying attention to what’s happening in our hearts and minds can be disastrous, as Solomon knew.

This is why it’s so important that we daily reinforce the works of the Law which God has written on our hearts (Rom. 2.14, 15) with the spiritual buttressing of His Word.

Enlighten your mind with the truth of God. Let the mind of Christ, which you possess, become the mind that guides your thoughts, as He teaches you His Word.

Straighten your affections by the counsel of the Lord. Let the Spirit of truth and all comfort shape your heart by the love of God and neighbor encoded in God’s Law (Matt. 22.34-40).

Strengthen your conscience so that love for God and man is the default priority. Thus your conscience will keep your heart and mind in check, and fit them for proper service to the Lord.

We are not strong enough to do this on our own; we need God’s Spirit daily bolstering our resolve, renewing our minds, and purifying our hearts.

Here, then, is a summons to prayer.

Cry out to God’s Spirit, and listen for His promptings. He will guide you in the path you must walk (Ps. 139.23, 24; 1 Jn. 2.1-6).

Is your daily regimen of reading, meditation, and study in God’s Word sufficient to allow the Spirit to shape your soul in the direction of loving God and your neighbors? Are your prayers sufficiently in tune with the Spirit to allow Him to plant the Word of God deep in the soil of your soul?

Only by disciplining our minds, hearts, and consciences to love God and our neighbors will we realize the freedom (from self and sin) and fullness (of Christ and the Spirit) God intends for all who know Him.

Plead with God to guard your heart and mind, and to fortify your conscience. Feed on His Word under the tutelage of His Spirit. Let the love of Christ keep your thoughts and heart, and cleanse and renew your conscience.

Then go forth in Him to love God and neighbors as Christ has loved you.

Psalm 139.1-5 (Ripley: “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul”)
You have searched, me, Lord, and known me, when I sit and when I rise;
From afar, my thoughts discerning, all my path before You lies.
Every word, before it’s spoken, You behold and know it well.
Both behind me and before me, Your sweet presence I can tell.

Lord, renew Your light in me by Your holy Word and Spirit; let Your truth conceive in my soul, so that I might know You, Lord. Adapted from Eriugena, Homily on John 1.1-14

In case you’re interested…
I’m sometimes asked about the footnotes that follow the citations of literature from the period of the Celtic Revival. I don’t give the whole reference, usually just an author and page number. If you’d like a more complete bibliography of materials relating to the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD), just drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll send you one.

Susie and I, and our Board and Brothers, are encouraged that many of you are beginning to respond to our ministry with your words of encouragement, promises of prayer, and gifts to support our work. Your gifts are especially helpful at this time, as Susie and I have moved full-time into the work of The Fellowship of Ailbe, and we are looking to the Lord to provide the financial resources this will require. We are asking Him to move you to give, and each gift we receive is an indication that God hears our prayers, is working in the hearts of those we are serving, and will fulfill all His promises toward us in Christ Jesus.

If you’d like to make a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, you may use the donate button in the masthead of this newsletter, or at the website, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452. Join us in praising the Lord for the ways He is moving in the hearts of His people to support this work.

Psalms to Pray for Today, Saturday, and Sunday
Today
Morning: Psalm 119.49-56; Psalm 103
Evening: Psalm 29

Saturday
Morning: Psalm 119.57-64; Psalm 104
Evening: Psalm 30

Sunday
Morning: Psalm 119.65-72; Psalm 105
Evening: Psalm 31

T. M. Moore, Principal
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.