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St. Patrick's Breastplate: Prayer for Protection

Lorica, 433 AD. Excerpt

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 everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Today is St. Patrick's Day! While it is unlikely that this lorica (i.e., a prayer for protection) was written by the saint himself, legend has it that this piece was composed prior to meeting Lóegaire mac Néill, a staunch opponent of Christianity and feared king in Ireland. Though a problematic story - it was common for the time in which it emerged, however - the prayer reveals that Patrick (or some person of faith) was able to see Christ in those who were quite unlike him. May we do this same this week - and always.

"Selah."

It's this word that get repeated a lot in the Psalms. While no one entirely sure what it means, there are some who think it indicates a shift in the music that was meant to accompany many of the psalms into a minor key.

Whether or not that's true, though, life shifts into a minor key during Lent. Things are a little more somber, reflective, and inward looking during this season. Throughout Lent, we'll think about what it means to live life in a minor key, while knowing that Easter is ahead of us.

Did you know that Friday, March 20 is the first day of spring?

While we associate that with time off school and warmer temperatures - it's actually a rather fascinating thing that has some symbolic theological implications.

 You see, as the Earth travels its annual orbit, sometimes its tilted axis leans in the direction of the Sun, creating summer in the hemisphere tilted toward it, and winter in the hemisphere tilted away.

But on Friday? It will be neither.

Night and day will be of somewhat equal length. It will be neither winter dark, nor summer light.

As we head toward Holy Week, things hang in the balance. But spoiler: the Light wins out.

Inspired by the lives of saints like Francis and Martin or Tours and Therese and Catherine, St. John’s Hero Academy VBS invites children to consider how following Jesus’ call to love and serve others is the most heroic thing of all. Children will create projects in the Hero Maker Design Studio, play high-energy games in the Gamer’s Gauntlet, hear stories of the faithful in the Hero Archives, and relax with a treat or two and the Holy Hero Caf?. All the while, they will discover that we can indeed serve like the saints!

This year, we are partnering with the 3^rd Street Boys and Girls Club once more and hope to show God’s love and care to even more children than last year! But this means that WE NEED YOUR HELP! IF you would like to volunteer to help with VBS, read the volunteer descriptions HERE. Then sign up next to your desired work area with your name and availability HERE.

Acolytes for Sunday!

Acolyte Schedule Available HERE!

Questions? Contact Sam

sam@stjohnsdecatur.org |662-656-653