Copying St. Patrick

Babysitting the four-year-old yesterday. She was helping me with my plants in my garden kitchen window. I have a holy water font on the front corner. It's Our Lady of Guadalupe. I asked her if she knew who the statue was and she said, "Mary and Jesus."  I asked, "Where's Jesus?"  She pointed to the angel on the bottom.  Interesting.

She also placed every little animal she was playing with, in front of Mary. They were visiting her.

While we were there, I pointed out the purple shamrock plant, next to the statue.  I showed her that it was shaped to show her how to bless herself.  You start at the point, "In the name of the Father."  Then you drop down to the bottom/center. "And the Son."  And at each point, "The Holy--Spirit. Amen."

She liked that.  So we picked one of the purple leaves and pressed it between two pieces of wax paper, for her to keep.

I got the idea from St. Patrick who taught the Trinity on the leaves of a shamrock.

St. Patrick and the Four Leaf Clover

St. Patrick made by Stained Glass Inc.

The four leaf clover is considered lucky because of its rarity.  Just try to find one!

I consider St. Patrick lucky to have been kidnapped and forced into slavery because it deepened his faith.  In prayer, Patrick learned contemplative listening and trust in God's plan.  I also consider St. Patrick lucky to have not only survived the pagan hostility, but overcame it.

But it's not the four leaf clover that is associated with St. Patrick.  It's the shamrock--the three leaf clover.  There are many stories about him using the three leaf clover to explain the Trinity.  It worked at the time, and for the pagans he was ministering to.  There are three person in one God.  And I've also heard that St. Patrick stuck the shamrocks on his clothes, so that people would inquire about them.  Hence, he would be given the opportunity to explain the theological concept of the trinity.

It worked.  And it still works--to an extent.  It has its limitations.  There are three distinct persons in One God.  There are not three distinct clovers in one shamrock.

All attempts to explain God fail.  He wouldn't be God, if you could.

h/t: www.StainedGlassInc.com

Cardinal Sean Story

The Cardinal Archbishop, Sean O'Malley of Boston, MA always has a story to tell.  The Irish are great story tellers.  And Cardinal Sean is one of the best.  BTW, this story is part of his homily during Mass for his Apostolic Visitation for the Diocese of Dublin.

The O’Malleys hail from County Mayo, a part of Ireland that was hallowed by St. Patrick’s ministry there.  They tell the story of a dramatic conversion of an Irish chieftain by the name of Ossian.  A huge crowd assembled in a field to witness his baptism.  St. Patrick arrived in his Bishop’s vestments with his miter and staff.  St. Patrick stuck his staff in the ground and began to preach a long sermon on the Catholic faith.  The people noted that Ossian, who was standing directly in front of St. Patrick, began to sweat profusely, he grew pale and fainted dead away.  Some people rushed over to help and they discovered to everyone’s horror that St. Patrick had driven his staff through the man’s foot.  When they were able to revive Ossian they said to him, ‘Why did you not say something?’  And the fierce warrior replied, ‘I thought that it was part of the ceremony.’

The warrior did not understand too much about liturgy and rituals, but he did understand that discipleship is often difficult.  It means carrying the Cross.  It is a costly grace and often we fall down on the job.

Related articles

• Cardinal O’Malley, in Ireland, washes feet of abuse victims (boston.com)

Blessed in Confession

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is always a blessing.  But this past weekend, I was especially blessed by going to Confession.  I was at a meeting at St. Pat's.

I've been to this particular Church numerous times because they have Eucharistic Adoration, 24/7.  I've also been to Confession there because I like the Jesuit Confessor.  Since I was at St. Pat's for my meeting, and it ended just as Confessions were being heard, I thought I'd take the opportunity to receive this Sacrament.

I try to be last, so that I'd get a little more spiritual advice than usual.  I just tell Father that I'm the last one and we can talk for a little while longer.  That's also why I prefer to go to Confession face to face.

So, there I am walking into the room and I walk around the screen to sit down in front of Father, when I am taken aback.  Father was startled also.  We knew each other.  Father even called me by name.  (And actually, if I knew Father David Goodrow was the Confessor, I wouldn't have gone to him--I'd rather go to someone I don't know.)  But it was OK.  It was better than OK.  Because Father knew me, we could dialogue without too much explanation because he know whereof and whatof, I spoke.

Good is good.  He meets my needs. (Philippians 4: 19)

"Boston" --St. Patrick

Did you know that Boston was the first city in America to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a parade? That's right, 1737. One version of the story is that on March 17th, some of the drinking in the taverns spilled over into the streets. Sounds plausible to me.

And then when the British troops occupied Boston around 1760, the Irish regiments
celebrated St. Patrick's Day with marching, feasting, and dancing. On March 17, 1775, 70 Redcoats, paraded through the streets of Boston in regimental form.

But then the revolution happened. After the Battle of Lexington and Concord, British troops had retreated to Boston where the Continental Army held them besieged for 11 months. But Washington's troops had positioned cannon on Dorchester Heights overlooking the city. The British would occupy Boston for only a few more days because they could see they would lose that battle. And you know what? They never returned.

Washington was well aware that the liberation of Boston occurred on St. Patrick's Day. A number of the men on his command staff were of Irish descent. The General Orders he issued that day specified that anyone wishing to pass through Continental lines would give the password "Boston," to which the reply would be "St. Patrick." It is said that as the British troops departed, an American band played "St. Patrick's Day in the Morning."

h/t to Fr. Gabriel, who told this story at Mass this morning. h/t to Mass Moments, which is probably where Father got his info. ;-)