It is hard for me to believe that it is almost St. Patrick's Day - a day we celebrate with green beer, parties and pinching people who don't wear green. I do't know where the time is going this month, but it is slipping by quickly, so I set off to learn more about this country of my ancestors.
Click on the link below for a great map that has many options for seeing Ireland up close and personal. Go to the map tab and click on the various maps for virtual tours of various places - you can visit the Celtic Ireland, castles, visit a 12th century church and more.
http://www.lookaroundireland.com/googlemapofireland.htm
St. Patrick...
Then, I was off to learn more about St. Patrick. History.com has a lot of information about him. I learned that he is the Patron Saint of Ireland, was taken captive at the age of 16 and held in slavery for about six years. The article says "During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)".
 |
| www.toptenz.net |
His mission techniques were some that we can all learn from -use what is familiar in a culture to teach the Christian way of life. He chose to incorporate traditional rituals into Christianity instead of trying to eradicate them. He used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He superimposed the sun on a cross (the birth of the Celtic cross) so the cross would seem more natural to the Irish.
There were many legends surrounding St. Patrick including the one that he chased all the snakes into the sea.
This doesn't sound like the St. Patrick of green beer and big parties to me.
Do you want to learn 10 Interesting Facts About St. Patrick's Day? Visit toptenz.net
Eat...
We can't go to Ireland without sampling some of their food. It's just not right! I used to make corned beef and cabbage every year for St. Patrick's day. This year I thought I would branch out a little and try something different, a little more traditional.
I found this quick recipe that comes complete with a rhyme.
BoxtyBoxty is a traditional potato dish, celebrated in the rhyme.
Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan, If you can't make boxty, you'll never get your man
(Perhaps that's why I never got my man - I've never tried Boxty in my pan.)
Dublin Lawyer
This dish is delicious and traditional - a happy combination - though its expensive ingredients make it a rare treat rather than an everyday affair. For the best flavor the fish has to be freshly killed just before cooking. 
Plunge a sharp knife into the cross on the back of the head. Slice in half lengthwise and crack open the claws. Remove all the flesh and cut into large chunks. Keep both halves of the shell for serving.
Plunge a sharp knife into the cross on the back of the head. Slice in half lengthwise and crack open the claws. Remove all the flesh and cut into large chunks. Keep both halves of the shell for serving.I didn't make this quite the way the recipe called for - but I couldn't resist the name! I just don't have the heart to kill the lobster. When I look at live lobsters at the store I am reminded of a girl I worked with many years ago who kept sitting at her desk and chuckling all day. Finally someone asked her what was so funny. She said she had a call from a friend the night before who was cooking a special dinner. Her friend asked her how to cook lobsters. My friend said "You put them in a pan of boiling water. When they squeal and float they are done." To which her friend replied, "Oh, you don't cook them in the oven? I guess that is why they are running around on my cookie sheet"!
Dublin Coddle This was a great one for a cool spring day! And since I can never leave a recipe alone, and I needed to clean out the fridge, I added a few carrots and some cabbage --- mmm-mmm-good!
Pray...
Pray for my friend's daughter Christian. She is serving as a missionary in Ireland as a teacher. The church she works with is running out of money and she hasn't been paid in a while. The villagers are helping to support her.
Pray for the villagers who opened their hearts and their pocketbooks when tragedy struck the family not too long ago. They gathered together and collected enough money for her to return to the US. That, my friends, is true Christan love! Giving what you don't have to someone in need. May God bless them, as they blessed Christian and her family.
Pray for PCUSA's partner church - the Presbyterian Church of Ireland and the work they are doing. You can click the link to learn more about them and their work.
Pray for the PCUSA missionaries serving in Northern Ireland and the Young Adult Volunteers serving there. You can learn more about them by going to http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/global/northern-ireland/
And, please pray for the Presbyterian Committee for Northern Ireland and the Presbyterian Ireland Mission Network along with our partner organization...Corrymeela Community and the Irish School of Ecumenics
Laugh...Love
Today's post ends with a little laughter and a lot of love. I think you can have laughter without love, but you can't have love without laughter. Here's a couple if Irish jokes that made me giggle, hope you do too...
Paddy and the Holy Water....Paddy is stopped going through customs at Dublin Airport and he is asked to identify a bottle in his luggage. "That's holy water I've brought back from Lourdes" says Paddy. The customs oficer opens the bottle, sniffs it and says "This smells like whiskey" , "Jaaaysus thats fantastic , another bloody miracle!" says Paddy.
Penance - As soon as she had finished parochial school, a bright young girl named Lena shook the dust of Ireland off her shoes and made her way to New York where before long, she became a successful performer in show business.
Eventually she returned to her home town for a visit and on a Saturday night went to confession in the church which she had always attended as a child. In the confessional Father Sullivan recognized her and began asking her about her work. She explained that she was an acrobatic dancer, and he wanted to know what that meant.
She said she would be happy to show him the kind of thing she did on stage.
She stepped out of the confessional and within sight of Father Sullivan, she went into a series of cartwheels, leaping splits, handsprings and backflips. Kneeling near the confessional, waiting their turn, were two middle-aged ladies. They witnessed Lena's acrobatics with wide eyes, and one said to the other:
"Will you just look at the penance Father Sullivan is givin' out this night, and me without me bloomers on!"
Eventually she returned to her home town for a visit and on a Saturday night went to confession in the church which she had always attended as a child. In the confessional Father Sullivan recognized her and began asking her about her work. She explained that she was an acrobatic dancer, and he wanted to know what that meant.
She said she would be happy to show him the kind of thing she did on stage.
She stepped out of the confessional and within sight of Father Sullivan, she went into a series of cartwheels, leaping splits, handsprings and backflips. Kneeling near the confessional, waiting their turn, were two middle-aged ladies. They witnessed Lena's acrobatics with wide eyes, and one said to the other:
"Will you just look at the penance Father Sullivan is givin' out this night, and me without me bloomers on!"
Irish Blessings...
 |
| http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/archives/2004archives/3.14.04-3.20.04.htm |
Like the warmth of the sun
And the light of the day,
May the luck of the Irish
shine bright on your way.
And the light of the day,
May the luck of the Irish
shine bright on your way.
May the good saints protect you
And bless you today
And may troubles ignore you
Each step of the way
And bless you today
And may troubles ignore you
Each step of the way
May joy and peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now
And bless you evermore.
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now
And bless you evermore.
 |
| http://everydaysaholiday.org/st-patricks-day/ |
FROM THE BREASTPLATE OF SAINT PATRICK
Christ be with me, Christ be within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
No comments:
Post a Comment