Praying in Gaelic

The Jesus Prayer

One of the oldest prayers in Christianity, the Jesus Prayer is a short prayer consisting of the words: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” A contemplative prayer originally practiced by Egyptian Desert Fathers in the 5^th century, its practice found itself among Orthodox Christians where instructions on its use are present in the Philokalia. To this day, it is still practiced within the Hesychast tradition of Eastern Orthodoxy stretching from Greece to Russia and among those who engage in Christian meditation.

Despite being a prayer commonly used in Eastern Christianity, it has found some prominent use within the West. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it states that “To pray ‘Jesus’ is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him. This simple invocation of faith developed in the tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West.”

The prayer is presented here in the various Gaelic languages for the purpose of contemplative practice and meditation. As one learns the prayer and recites it regularly, it becomes a means of not only connecting with Christ through consistent prayer but is done so in a manner that connects the individual with one’s ancestors over the centuries.

Classical Gaelic

A Thighearna Iósa Críosd, Mac Dé, déuna trócaire oram.

Modern Irish

A Thiarna Íosa Críost, Mac Dé, déan trócaire orm.

Scottish Gaelic

A Thighearna Ìosa Crìost, Mac Dè, dèan tròcair orm.

Manx

O Hiarn Yeesey Creest, Mac Yee, jean myghin orrym.