When thou recites thy hours,
And thou shalt be in the womb of thy mother,
Recite them leisurely to the congregation,
If thou wilt gain the profit of them.

Every verse of them that thou recites,
Expound their text minutely;
Speak in thine own character exactly,
And fix on them thine understanding;
Then thou shalt receive from the King of the stars,
Whose protection is never-ending.

The verse which the mighty recite,
Thou deem’st it long till it proceed from thee,
The man of deceit who is in the congregation,
Not better for thee is his recitation.

Recite thyself softly, sweetly, pleasantly,
Thy prayers and thy reading;
Expound their Latin truly,
And turn thy Pater into Gaelic.

Visit early as is right,
Approach the altar frequently:

Give great love to their renown,
Preach among the laymen.

Translation, Charles Plummer, Lives of Irish Saints II

Colman is here counseling two young men who have set their hearts to join the ranks of those who serve in the ministry of the Word. This poem – “lay” or song – features aspects of formula and spontaneity, suggesting that it may have been a kind of set form which Colman adapted to this particular situation and the calling of these men to ministry. Some important insights surface here concerning the work of ministry and the worship of God’s people during the period of the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD).

Let’s note first some aspects of the work of pastoral ministry.

The young men who are the focus of this charge, whose names were Cuineda and Duinecha, had accomplished a work on Colman’s behalf which made it possible for him to preach the Gospel in a certain district. Consequently, they determined to become apprentices (“servants”) to Colman and to serve with him in his ministry. Colman’s charge follows, in the form of this poem, in order to confirm their decisions and to outline important aspects of what lay ahead for them.

Entrance into the ministry in those days meant attaching oneself to a mentor, who was part of a larger monastic community, usually the abbot or head. Candidates would study with the mentor, assist him in ministry activities, join in the work of the community, and gradually, by instruction, example, and participation, learn the work of ministry for themselves. They would take up the rule of discipline which all their fellow ministers adhered to as well. Their training completed, they might continue in that community, go off as a solitary missionary to begin a new “church plant”, or embark on peregrinatio and wander about preaching the Gospel wherever they could.

Colman’s charge shows us that worship and personal devotion were central to the work of a minister of the Word. The minister’s primary responsibilities were to lead worship, teach the congregation, preach to laymen, and attend to matters of personal disciple-making (both with lay people and with other candidates for ministry). Some members of the community might also participate in various scholarly activities, such as copying manuscripts or teaching groups of ministerial candidates.

As we see in Colman’s charge a minister’s discipline included keeping the daily hours of prayer and studying the Word so as to make it his own. He should strive to make these disciplines sweet and pleasant, and not merely something to be ticked off some daily list. He was to fix his understanding on the Word so that he might receive from the King whatever His Word promised. He must learn to pray the psalms, making them his own prayers and converting certain of them into the vernacular (“thy Pater”, that is, the Lord’s Prayer). This would help to keep him sharp for ministry among the lay people who made up the community beyond the monastic center. A minister’s day began early, in prayer and frequently with communion.

Each monastery would have its own rules of discipline for candidates and monks to follow, but the heart and core of these seems to have been around the Word and prayer, especially, praying the psalms.

A minister would thus be equipped to lead the congregation in worship (“in the womb of thy mother”, that is, the church). Here he must be “leisurely” in his prayers and preaching, so that he and those in attendance might profit from each as God intends (the Gaelic, mall, means something like “slowly and gently”). He must not be unrealistic in his expectations regarding his preaching; there will always be a “man of deceit” in the congregation who will not profit from the ministry of the Word, even though he joins in the “recitation” (congregational responses or singing and prayers?).

The end of discipline and ministry was to “Give great love to their renown”, that is, to improve love for God and neighbor in himself and those he served. Thus a minister pursued love for God through his personal disciplines, shared in love for God and neighbor within the community, and proclaimed love to lay people and the lost.

Here are the rudiments of a pattern for pastoral development and ministry that could serve us well in the work of ministry today.

For more insight to the legacy of the Celtic Christian period, order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Legacy of Patrick, from our online store.