What Day Is It?

I almost let it slip me by. It’s intriguing not to live by calendars. So it was late in the day when I remembered what day it was. When the kids were little, I used any excuse at all to turn a boring, regular day into a special party day. We usually had Irish stew and danced jigs on March 17. (And died laughing.) So I made a 5 p.m. run to Trader Joe’s, and pulled off a St. Patrick’s Day feast for just BigB and me. We had corned beef with strong mustard and horseradish; cabbage with chowchow (Southern-Irish), adorable little fresh green peas with dill, and cute baby fingerling and red potatoes… roasted with a little olive oil and spices. And a homemade whole-grain ball of bread. (But not homemade by moi. Oh well.) I finally figured out how to Pandora the Chieftains, so we even did a jig or two on our own.  Absolutely hysterical. (If we were related, I’d show you the sneaky video I did of BigB dancing on my IPhone.) With all the partying, revelry, drunkenness, and dyed-green rivers in places like Chicago and Savannah, it’s easy to forget that St. Patrick’s Day was meant to be the commemoration of effective evangelism. According to one source, “Patrick was sent to deliver the message of the "light at the center of all," not because he was courageous, strong, educated, or charming. Indeed, the messenger angel assures Padraig that his courage and skill are not the issue. God's strength, God's wisdom, and Christ's utter attractiveness are instead determinative. Ireland was converted as a work of grace, not a work of merit.*” With that in mind, I close the day with the “Breastplate of St. Patrick,” not unlike the “Armor of God” described in Ephesians 6:11. “May God be in your head, and in your understanding…”  St. Patrick ***************    I ARISE today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,	5
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.	10
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,	15
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,	20
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,	25
Alone and in a multitude.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.	30
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,	35
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,	t
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

                                     (St. Patrick, 387-493)

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(I don't know why we have the one column on the left thing going on here, but it's way too late East Coast Time to figure it out.

Nite nite.)

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If you haven't already, please read the post below, and comment if you wish. It was the "real post" for today.