Feast day - St Patricks Day

Feast of St Patricks is upon us – when I write this it is actually the day after, yet Irish coffee is on the menu for community. morning tea  – it was a ‘abnormal’ celebration for the country. The evening news presented the President delivering his address to the country articulating the clam before the storm with this year non celebration will be one in the history books to tell the generations to come. 

As we attended mass in our living room, with the broadcast to the nation, it was a reminder of the times we are living in. 

St Patrick himself first came to Ireland as a slave or in modern terminology we would say he was trafficked. While Im sure on this day the story of St Patrick is echoed around the world, it is a reminder to look pass the literally and into the depths of the metaphor. The story offers great hope, St Patrick a man whose journey was trying and full of some many challenges just like many people today. The driving out snakes from this land is as relevant today as it was back in 520AD, representing the driving out of fear and hatred.

As the day unfolded, the reminder that its time like these of the Corona virus pandemic that we drive out fear from our hearts replacing it with calm and reason. 

At this time, the true depth and meaning of one community, one global family is a reality. Virus has not borders, nor follows our rules or regulations.
While we give thanks for our health, for those in the medical fields on front lines, those who have lost members of families or are ill. We do our part in the place we stand, aware that we are all united through the air we breath, soil we stand and love we share. 

Our community gathered to share a meal, share some tales of the land and jokes. During the day we walked the streets witnessing children’s artworks on windows, flags hanging from upper levels of the house and an odd person dressed for the day. Now and again hear people singing on the street, keeping their two meter rule with social distancing. I am sure it’s a strange sense of the day with no parade, no mass gatherings yet the culture is one of welcome, one of embracing the moment to give thanks. 

The shamrock has leaves that point in different directions, but at its core it is still united, just like us.