His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace…

  - Revelation 1.14, 15

Have mercy upon us, O Almighty God, Jesus Christ, Son of the living God! O true Light of love, that enlighteneth every darkness, O guiding Light, O Sun of righteousness, O Morning star, O Brightness of the Deity, O Radiance of the eternal brightness, have mercy upon us!

  - Mugrón, Litany of the Trinity, Irish, 14th century[1]

Toward the end of the period of the Celtic revival a number of “litanies” began to appear, in the form of prayers of celebration, confession, and intercession. They drew heavily on Scripture, and seem to have been written for personal use, to aid in prayer, focus the mind, or provide a resource for shared devotional experiences.

Typically, these litanies provide long lists of the attributes and works of God, invoked for aid in praise, thanksgiving, or seeking the mercy of God. In these litanies we get a glimpse of the Celtic Christian vision of unseen things – the image of Christ and God these believers carried around in their head – and we can sense how powerful a reality that vision of unseen things must have been in their daily lives.

This segment of a longer section extolling the virtues of Jesus reminds us of how Celtic Christians associated the Savior with brightness, brilliance, and the sun. On certain high crosses, the sun would be carved in the center of the cross, surrounded by five planets. Here it seems to have represented Jesus as the sovereign of the known universe.

This association of Jesus with the sun traces back, perhaps, to Patrick’s vision of Jesus as the sun, bearing down on him to seal his faith and calling in the Lord.

Beyond that, however, equating Jesus with the sun and brilliant light is a soundly Biblical way of thinking about Him.

Jesus is the Light of the world, and John saw this up close and personal, as it were, in his vision on Patmos. In paintings, dark colors tend to recede to the eye, while light colors come forward. Imagine the force of Jesus’ glorious visage as John turned to see all that brilliance bearing down on him, rushing at him, so to speak, to gather him up in glory.

No wonder he fell down on his face – only to be comforted and lifted by the Savior.

Encounters with the glory of God await us in the contemplation of Jesus’ face (2 Cor. 4.6). Passages such as today’s and others – Psalms 45 and 110, for example, and Revelation 14.14-16 – can help us gain a clearer picture of Jesus as He rules at the Father’s right hand, advancing His Kingdom, building His Church, and calling us into His glory.

He is truly there, and by seeking Him in meditation and prayer, we can find grace to sustain us in the midst of every trial (2 Cor. 4.16-18).

Hasten to that face full of glory today.

Psalm 17.15 (Park Street: “All You That Fear Jehovah’s Name”)
But as for me, Lord, save and bless! Let me behold Your righteousness.
Your face in glory I would see, and thus forever bless-ed be,
  And thus forever bless-ed be.

Lord Jesus, come down on me! Let the brilliance of the light of Your glory lift the crushing burden of my sin! Let Your Spirit come to help me this day, O Lord! Adapted from Patrick, Confession

Full Faith
This week, in our ReVision column and newsletter, we begin a 10-part series on Full Faith. The topic for this week’s series is Assurance and Evidence, and looks to the book of Hebrews to guide us in seeking out the unseen things of Christ as the anchor of our faith.

I encourage you to download the PDF of this week’s study. Make some copies for friends, and agree to get together to study this and all 10 parts of our series, Full Faith. Your vision of Christ and your faith in Him can be enriched and strengthened as a result.

Please prayerfully consider becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. 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 Dr., 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.