Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - Lent Day 25
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,
How great thou art! How great thou art!
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”
Happy St. Patrick's Day! So, do you have big plans to celebrate? Some people really get into it, even if they are not Irish. The music and people and details and color add joy to the day.
What do you know about St. Patrick? Some historians tell conflicting accounts, but surprisingly many stories agree. St. Patrick was born in 385. His Christian family was of Roman citizenship. At the age of 16, St. Patrick was taken by marauders and sold into slavery and taken to Ireland. After 6 years he escaped. Upon his escape he vowed to become a missionary. After completing his training, he then vowed to return to Ireland to evangelize the country and its people. In 432, St. Patrick arrived back in Ireland and began to Christianize the country. He died in the year 461.
St. Patrick took great risk to live, believing in God's grace alone! He trusted the same Spirit who raised Jesus, dwelled in him. It took great risk to proclaim the gift of faith, to proclaim Christ. It took great risk to go back to the land and the people he had escaped from, the land and the people who had taken him into slavery, to go back to preach and to proclaim and to celebrate true faith: The grace alone of Christ forgives and saves!
How does the same Spirit who raised Jesus, who called the Apostle Paul, who led St. Patrick, dwell in you today? Believe anew, 'our God, how great thou art' who raised Jesus and who saved and guided St. Patrick is with you; then sings my soul!
Let us pray: Jesus, I tell you it is easy for me to celebrate, and not so easy to take risks, hearing your call, trusting your Spirit dwells in me. As I remember and celebrate the mission and ministry of St. Patrick, in your grace alone, I believe anew. Keep calling me, and my soul will forever sing, "My God, how great thou art." In your name, I boldly celebrate and proclaim as I pray. Amen.
