As I look ahead, there are two things that are worth highlighting.
First, this past weekend we “spring forward” into daylight-saving time. Last March, the United States Senate passed legislation that would make daylight-saving time permanent. It is called the Sunshine Protection Act approved unanimously by the Senate in a voice vote. Then it had to go to the House of Representative which, I’m guessing, is where it awaits a vote. Many have speculated about the benefits of daylight-saving time and others have argued against it. Whatever its fate is, looking at it through the eyes of faith, it reminds a little more dramatically that, as we move from Christmas to Easter, the days “become longer” as Christ our Light rises. What a welcome gift to our day as we extend our time into more sunlight! May our spiritual lives do the same.
Second, this Friday we will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. My mother wanted my older brother and then me to be named Patrick…but it didn’t happen due to “fatherly” resistance. Then, my younger brother, Patrick, got the name. Unfortunately, at 19 months, Patrick died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which, in 1969, was not even recognized as a cause of death. It was certainly a tough time for the family. But Patrick will always be a special name for us. Both my brother and I chose it as a Confirmation name, and my younger sister, Maura, took Patricia as hers. Thus, Saint Patrick’s Day is likewise very special for us.
In the Church, Saint Patrick’s Day commemorates the death, as legend has it, of Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, on March 17, circa 492. Friday is a day to honor St. Patrick. Let us celebrate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland along with the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Please know that the Archbishop has granted a dispensation to Catholics in the Archdiocese from abstinence on Saint Patrick’s Day. You’re only asked to move the abstinence to another day. In the spirit of Saint Patrick and the Irish:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
And the rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
God Bless you all and “top of the morning”
Msgr. Tom
