Anam Cara Pilgrimages & Retreats

The Rule of St. Columcille and Holy Speech

An important intention of our pilgrimage is to discover our deep friendship with God and with each other. We do this overtly with pilgrimage teachings, intentional prayer, and times of quiet meditation. Equally important is the subtle experience of traveling in community with each other. Part of this experience is the intentional practice of holy speech.

The early Celtic Christian monasteries were sanctuaries for the practice of holiness. As Colonies of Heaven, the monastics attempted to live to the fullest the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The means of such life were set down in various monastic rules, one of the earliest of which was the Rule of St. Columcille (Columba).

While on our pilgrimage we hold to the portion of this rule which applies to the practice of holy speech. It is a practice that creates good relationships with others and a peaceful heart within our soul. It is a practice that embraces the teaching of Jesus to “judge not”, better understood in modern language as “have no set opinion”. This is different from having a firm conviction. Opinions differ from convictions in that convictions are firmly held beliefs still open to discussion and transformation, while opinions are the result of a closed mind which are often expressed in anger when confronted.

While on pilgrimage we suspend our opinions in favor of conviction and dialogue. We suspend all present political discussions that are not framed by a humble, scripturally based conversation. All deliberations are placed in the context of scripture and tradition, not in the context of political loyalties or philosophies of the day.

Holy speech was developed in the early Celtic Christian Church by embracing the following portions of St. Columcille’s Rule:  (1) I forgive every person from my heart; (2) I pray constantly for those who annoy me and those who quarrel with me; (3) I do not lose my temper or harbor hatred or resentment; (4) I am a patient person; (5) I am pure and respectful in my speech; (6) I do not speak until necessity demands; (7) I avoid converse with anyone who gossips or grumbles about what he may neither prevent nor rectify, simply giving him my blessing and sending him off about his business.

These final two rules offer a significant means of discerning whether I am stuck in an opinion, or if I am open to a transformative conversation. I may ask myself, “Am I going to discuss an issue, or am I merely wishing to prove a point or grumble?” If I answer that I am out to prove a point or win a debate, it is best for me to follow the rule: “I do not speak.” If someone else begins such an argument, then I enact the rule: “[I] simply give them my blessings and send them off about their business.”

To bless and be blessed is the desire of our pilgrimage, and the subtle pursuit of holy speech allows us to love others and to find the blessing of God in our heart.