Pádraig Ó Tuama
Eerdmans, 175 pages | Published January 23, 2024
With warmth and humility, devotional poet Pádraig Ó Tuama offers Being Here. It’s a small book, chock full of prayer and liturgy, accompanied by brief teachings and reflections. For example, Ó Tuama introduces us to the collect – a five-fold form of prayer – in such a straightforward way, before inviting us to pray his collects and craft our own.
He writes, “(i)f you know what you’re doing, you’re blessed. If you don’t know what you’re doing, then try it one way for a month, and another way for another month and then go with what works.” He then offers 31 days of liturgy, each opening with the same prayer and layering upon it a gospel passage, collect, poem or prose reading and closing prayer. Simple enough to sit with for 10 minutes each morning and rich enough to reflect upon all day long.
By inviting us to make his work our own, Ó Tuama creates myriad possibilities. Being Here would be a welcome addition to a small group’s gathering and closing time or stand on its own as the foundation of a daily or weekly prayer service. I found myself wishing I was planning a retreat or pilgrimage, so that I could joyfully announce, “I’ve found the perfect little book to accompany us!” In the meantime, I’ll just sit with Being Here in the stillness of the early morning, allowing Ó Tuama’s language to travel with me throughout the day.
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