PRAYER PAUSE
Saturday 17 March 2018, St
Patrick
SO
THAT HIS NAME MAY BE QUICKLY FORGOTTEN
Enter
into the stillness of God within.
Reading: “Let us destroy the tree in
its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name
may be quickly forgotten.” (Jeremiah 11:18-20)
Reflection. They tried to destroy the
influence of Jeremiah. They tried to do
the same with Jesus. Their hostility was physical and powerful but in the end
Jeremiah is remembered by all subsequent generations. And Jesus, through the
Paschal Mystery, is the Lord of life for all.
Our gospel today (John 7:40-52) describes rock-like hostility but the
undercurrent is burgeoning victory.
Irish people – and all those who wish to be Irish for a day – celebrate Patrick
whose name has never been forgotten. He too suffered from hostility and the
constant threat to his life. But today his
name stirs emotions of pride and gratitude in many hearts. Yet I noticed, at the reception at the Irish
Embassy here, that – while the achievements of the Irish were mentioned and the
good relations celebrated – there wasn’t a word about what Patrick actually set
out to do: to proclaim faith in Jesus. It is as though faith is now a taboo.
Prayer. Lord, thank you for the
gift of Patrick. May his courage and perseverance
continue to inspire us at a time when our faith seems to flicker in the winds
of our current culture.. Amen
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