Read today’s texts first: Deuteronomy 32-34; 1 Corinthians 2
MAXIMize YOUR DAY
St. Patty said it best: All that I am, I have received from God…Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.
Today is Kaitlyn’s birthday. It’s easy to remember, mostly because my oldest granddaughter is so special to me, but also because it’s St. Patrick’s Day. His legacy, combined with an obvious theme from our readings today, give me great hope for Kaitlyn’s future (she used to be known as Katie, but now that she’s a teenager she thinks Kaitlyn better suits her new-found maturity!).
Katie, I mean Kaitlyn, is the brightest, most precocious child I’ve ever known (her mom, my daughter Carissa, was close)! I remember when she was 7 and I was helping her make bracelets for her brother and little sister. I remember asking her some basic questions about her technique, you know, to make her feel smart. She must have suspected the questions were too patronizing because she stopped, squinted at me and asked, quite sarcastically, “how old are you?” I guess she thought I should know the answers without asking her. Her teachers at school must have fun!
She will need that sharp mind, and the mind of Jesus who lives inside of her, as she faces a very challenging future. It’s not easy navigating through life, especially today, when there are so many fools out there trying to convince us there is no God (Psalm 14:1). But Moses reassures us: their rock is not our Rock; our enemies are by themselves (32:31). It was God’s presence that distinguished Israel from the heathen nations; it was God’s guidance that led them to victory against overwhelming odds. Paul said that even Satan and his minions, with their elaborate plans against us, are clueless. If they knew what was going on they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (2:6-8). Big mistake – their Waterloo!
St. Patrick, born Maewyn Succat, discovered he had the mind of Christ (2:16). Maewyn lived a normal childhood as the son of a wealthy landowner and magistrate in Britain. But tragically, at 16, he was captured during a raid on his village and then sold into slavery in Ireland. After six years Maewyn escaped to France and became a priest, adopting the name Patrick. During his training, Patrick heard God calling him to go preach the gospel to Irish pagans. He went back to Ireland where he had been abused as a slave, established monasteries across the country, set up schools and churches, and converted many over 30 years of ministry. He died on March 17, the day we commemorate as St. Patrick's Day.
This quotation from St. Patrick is my prayer and God’s promise for me and for Kaitlyn: I am certain in my heart that “all that I am,” I have received from God…Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.
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