ON THE FEAST OF ST. PATRICK
The lifestory of St. Patrick is a joyous mix of legend and history, of fact a fiction.
For example, the story of his chasing the snakes out of Ireland may not be true; but it is a metaphor symbolizing his conquest of the evils of paganism.
The story of the shamrock illustrating the mystery of the Trinity may not be fact but it is a symbol of his deep and mystical faith.
His hymn, The Breastplate of St. Patrick," containing the soaring poetry of "Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ in quiet and in danger, Christ in the hearts of those who love me, Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger," may not have been composed by St. Patrick but it reveals his absolute identification with Jesus and his total dedication to Jesus' gospel. In an age when most people were illiterate, Patrick was their living gospel.
Likewise with us. If we espouse the gospeln of materialism, or the gospel of self interest, or the gospel of violence, people will take note and question how we can call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ. If, on the other hand, we live the gospel of Jesus, as did St. Patrick, we will be known for bringing life and joy, peace and hope into the lives of all whom we encounter.
The gospel is not just something printed on paper; the gospel is the good news imprinted in our hearts.
The gospel challenges us to internaliz the values of Christ so that we can externalize the values of Christianity.
Father Richard Rohr, the famous preacher and retreat master, says there are four dynamisms in the gospel. The first is confrontation, the second, challenge, the third, conversion, the fourth, consolation. The problem, he says, is that we make the fourth, consolation, the first.
With his thought in mind, we need to allow the gospel to confront us so that it can challenge us so that it can convert us so that we can experience consolation.
For example, the gospel may confront our selfishness and challenge us to be more generous and so we become converted to greater generosity and thus experience the consolation of living the value of Jesus which is infinite self-sacrificing generosity as we witness in the Good Friday cross.
And even if at times being generous is a cross, we know in faith that our cross will be transformed into the empty tomb of glory, just as our generosity will be transformed into total selflessness.
Ask St. Patrick to intercede for you that you may always live the gospel totally.
The lifestory of St. Patrick is a joyous mix of legend and history, of fact a fiction.
For example, the story of his chasing the snakes out of Ireland may not be true; but it is a metaphor symbolizing his conquest of the evils of paganism.
The story of the shamrock illustrating the mystery of the Trinity may not be fact but it is a symbol of his deep and mystical faith.
His hymn, The Breastplate of St. Patrick," containing the soaring poetry of "Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ in quiet and in danger, Christ in the hearts of those who love me, Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger," may not have been composed by St. Patrick but it reveals his absolute identification with Jesus and his total dedication to Jesus' gospel. In an age when most people were illiterate, Patrick was their living gospel.
Likewise with us. If we espouse the gospeln of materialism, or the gospel of self interest, or the gospel of violence, people will take note and question how we can call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ. If, on the other hand, we live the gospel of Jesus, as did St. Patrick, we will be known for bringing life and joy, peace and hope into the lives of all whom we encounter.
The gospel is not just something printed on paper; the gospel is the good news imprinted in our hearts.
The gospel challenges us to internaliz the values of Christ so that we can externalize the values of Christianity.
Father Richard Rohr, the famous preacher and retreat master, says there are four dynamisms in the gospel. The first is confrontation, the second, challenge, the third, conversion, the fourth, consolation. The problem, he says, is that we make the fourth, consolation, the first.
With his thought in mind, we need to allow the gospel to confront us so that it can challenge us so that it can convert us so that we can experience consolation.
For example, the gospel may confront our selfishness and challenge us to be more generous and so we become converted to greater generosity and thus experience the consolation of living the value of Jesus which is infinite self-sacrificing generosity as we witness in the Good Friday cross.
And even if at times being generous is a cross, we know in faith that our cross will be transformed into the empty tomb of glory, just as our generosity will be transformed into total selflessness.
Ask St. Patrick to intercede for you that you may always live the gospel totally.
posted by The Ronald | 11:34 AM
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