St. Patrick's Day

Something by Saint Patrick of Ireland arrived in my in-box today:

The Cry of the Deer

I arise today:
in the might of heaven,
in the splendor of the sun,
in whiteness of snow;
irresistibleness of fire,
swiftness of lightning;
absoluteness of the deep;
in speed of wind,
rock’s durability…

Eye of God for my foresight,
ear of God for my hearing;
word of God for my word,
hand of God for my guard,
shield of God for my protection,
against any demon’s snare,
against all vice’s lure,
against ill-wishes far and near...

Full text at Bruderhof.

Pray with Irish Jesuits on-line. From today's entry:

If there is a hierarchy in heaven based on the churches named after you, Patrick must be at the top. He is our antidote to racism – a Welsh boy educated in France and missioned by Italians, who became the loved apostle of Ireland, and the toast of Irish people everywhere on 17th March. He is our antidote to conservatism – a slave who ran away from his owners and returned to Ireland to face down kings and chieftains. He was a visionary who followed his dreams, and loved the high mountains like Slemish and Croagh Patrick. Above all he was a religious man who turned to God during his leisured hours as a swineherd. All through his Confessions you sense his overflowing gratitude for the privilege of knowing Almighty God and Jesus Christ his son as he wrote: In the light of our faith in the Trinity, regardless of danger, I must make known the gift of God and everlasting consolation, without fear and frankly. I must spread everywhere the name of God so that after my decease I may leave a bequest to those whom I have baptized in the Lord — so many thousands of people.

Irish Immigrant Database Goes Online [NPR story]
'Information Wanted' Ad Database

From October 1831 through October 1921, the Boston Pilot newspaper printed a "Missing Friends" column with advertisements from people looking for "lost" friends and relatives who had emigrated from Ireland to the United States. This extraordinary collection of more than 31,438 records is available here as a searchable online database, which contains a text record for each ad that appeared in the Pilot.

I did not remember to wear green today; I don't even have a green tie. Memo to self: get a kelly green and orange tie for next St. Patrick's Day. The Irish ancestors I know about were Protestants, not Roman Catholics, so I'll wear orange too.

This is a day of new beginnings,
time to remember and move on,
time to believe what love is bringing,
laying to rest the pain that's gone.

For by the life and death of Jesus,
God's mighty Spirit, now as then,
can make for us a world of difference,
as faith and hope are born again.

--Brian Wren
This is a day of new beginnings, 1978, alt.
(1st 2 verses)