I delayed my blog one day so that I could write this:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Now, I understand if your response is: “what’s so happy about it?!” After all, there’s the Coronavirus crisis, the Stock Market crisis, the toilet paper crisis, etc., etc. It seems like every day there is nothing but bad news following bad news.
Not surprisingly, this steady litany of bad news only serves to escalate our fear. And we were already living in a fear-filled time. So, I’m less concerned with the Coronavirus than I am with our response to this crisis. Take the run on toilet paper, for example. Why are we buying so much of it? I think the answer is that (over)buying it gives us a sense of control in a time when everything seems to be beyond our control. And in a weird way that stockpile of Charmin makes us feel more secure.
We have always looked for security in some pretty interesting places. For instance, my Mom inherited some superstitions, some of which made her feel more secure, some of which didn’t. Once when I was much younger, I made the mistake of carrying a shovel through the house. You would have thought I I’d shot somebody! Apparently carrying a shovel through the house means that someone is going to die. Who knew? It took some time to get her calmed down she was so upset. We won’t even talk about the mirror I broke. So, I get it: if a two-ply rabbit’s foot makes you feel less anxious, then more power to you. However, fear can make us behave in irrational and selfish ways (like buying 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer). I have no doubt we will get through the pandemic if we don’t let our fear get the better of us. Social distancing shouldn’t mean we stop caring for one another.
I am certainly no stranger to fear and anxiety. In fact, I have found myself overwhelmed by anxiety at times. The only thing that calms my fear is prayer. Honestly, I have not found anything else that works.
So, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I would like to share this prayer attributed to the saint. St. Patrick, as you may know, wasn’t Irish. He was brought to Ireland from Britain as a slave. But, after gaining his freedom and returning home, he was compelled to go back to Ireland as a missionary. It was an extraordinarily dangerous thing to do and Patrick had to face his fear every single day. And that led to this prayer of trust and assurance. It is my go to prayer when I begin to feel overwhelmed. I hope you find it as reassuring as I do.
“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 every man 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.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.”
To which I would like to add
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May He look upon you with favor, and give + you peace.
Divine Overtones 