Well it was going to happen sooner or later, and here it is: the real St. Patrick's day, which has really nothing to do with green beer and shamrocks and the rest of the paraphernalia that surrounds this day. For a massively detailed account of his life (massively detailed for someone who lived in the 5th century anyway) see here. Suffice it here to give just a part of the prayer known as Patrick's Breastplate:Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
4 comments:
It's always struck me as so simple ... repetitive, almost like a childhood rhyme ... yet in its simplicity it catches my breath each time I read it.
Haven't dropped by your blog for a while, Sime, so I'm a bit behind on the news. Really gald to hear you and Julie are now at Brunny. May it be a rich and long association!
Simon
Thanks Sime, for stopping by and for the note. Lots of news, but as a result haven't had time to blog. Check out John Dear's mp3 from the Rev Up soon to be on the Whitley site I think. If not, it'll be on the Pace e Bene site very soon.
Hope you and Brenda and the kids are doing really well.
just saw the video of the Catholic in the desert. I hope these are not your views. As a Baptist, you come from a rich spiritual lineage of strong thinkers (with notable exceptions in the 20th century!). His idea of eliminating the defense budget was naive and silly. There is too much to do to be splashing around in sophomoric thinking. Your friend needs to grow up.
Thanks for stopping by Chaylon. What is it that you object to about John's thinking? What do you think there is to do that John is being counterproductive to?
I actually think you're right. "Love your enemies" _is_ naive and silly. And so is "put down your sword" and "blessed are the poor, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, the peacemakers". So is getting yourself tortured and killed and hoping to rise again. All naive and silly.
"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God." (1 Cor 1:27-29)
As a Baptist I also come from a rich spiritual lineage of faithful servants of the nonviolent Christ. The spirit of the early Baptists was nonviolent nonconformity to the State and its agendas, preferring faithfulness to the silly-looking pipedream Jesus called the Kingdom of God. I hope I can remain faithful to it as much as John has.
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