#st. patrick

[diana-andraste]

Illustration of St. Patrick's purgatory in Jacobus de Voragine's manuscript Legenda Aurea, c. 1259-1266

"So, the souls in purgatory experience immense joy, and at the same time, they undergo immense pain; and one thing does not prevent the other."

Text attributed to Catherine of Genoa, Italy, 15th-16th centuries

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[conduit-of-grace]

“The Lord opened the understanding of my unbelief that, even though late... I might turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who regarded my low estate, and pitied the youth of my ignorance, and kept me before I knew him, and before I had discernment.”

-St. Patrick

[radioactivepeasant]

Happy St. Patrick's day to everyone except 12th century English monk, Jocelyn of Furness. You know what you did.

(The guy responsible for writing down that "ooo St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland because snakes eeeevil" nonsense)

Fun fact, snakes actually feature in the Book of Kells — and you can find this in the Trinity College Dublin website — because they were considered a symbol of the Resurrection. New life.

(Yes, some of those snakes look a little like Muppets, but that's not their fault! 🤣)

I'd like to get a tattoo of this someday. Simplified though, because otherwise it would take a very long time lol

[momentsbeforemass]

St. Patrick

There are two St. Patrick’s.

There’s the corned beef and cabbage, Irish-themed everything, drunken green nonsense version.

And then there’s the other one. The one who was kidnapped and sold as a slave into Ireland. After 6 years of slavery, he escaped.

When he later became a priest, he returned to Ireland. As a missionary. Beginning his ministry in the very place where he had labored as a slave.

This year I ended up spending some time with the other one.

Not because I have anything against drunken green nonsense. But because I was doing a little cleaning up and throwing out. And I found the box that my favorite rosary came in.

It’s a very Irish rosary. Each bead is a squarish piece of green Connemara marble. With a silver-plated chain.

One of the beads is long gone. Much of the silver has worn off. It’s well-loved and well-worn.

In the bottom of that very Irish box was a holy card. With a prayer, the Lorica. St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

It’s a long prayer. Here’s the part I keep coming back to. The part that hits home.

“Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.”

It’s a prayer that reveals the heart of someone who didn’t give up on anyone. Even those who had done their worst to him.

It’s the prayer of someone who loved like Christ.

I think I need to spend more time with this Patrick.

Today’s Readings

[thoselovelythings]

[theflaminggoat]

March reminder that the story about St. Patrick driving all the "snakes" out came from one about him fighting demons on a mountain during Lent (The Book of Armagh) and local folklore.

And the "snakes" being witches is Church propaganda spread for free by witches every year~

[inspiredbyjesuslove]

[themariandevotion]

A handmade rosary inspired by the Irish flag 🇮🇪

Hail Mary ♡