God’s strength to direct me,
God’s power to sustain me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s vision to light me,
God’s ear to my hearing,
God’s word to my speaking,
God’s hand to uphold me,
God’s pathway before me,
God’s shield to protect me…
Christ beside me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me. Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me,
Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising,
Christ in the heart of all who know me,
Christ on the tongue of all who meet me,
Christ in the eye of all who see me,
Christ in the ear of all who hear me.
For my shield, this day, I call:
a mighty power:
the Holy Trinity!
affirming threeness,
confessing oneness
in the making of all – through love …”
Have a Happy Saint George’s Day for those in England % English abroad 🙂
Sadly St George’s Day no longer attracts as much attention in England as does St David’s Day for Wales, St Patrick’s Day for Ireland or St Andrew’s Day for Scotland.
A recent survey found only 40 per cent were able to identify St George’s Day as falling on April 23, compared with 71 who could give July 4 as the American national holiday and 42 per cent who knew that March 17 was the Irish one.
A Think Tank called British Future which looks at identity and integration and carried out the survey says the results suggest many English people are too “nervous” to celebrate St George’s Day.
It cites concerns among many that national symbols like the St George’s Cross flag may be interpreted as racist by others, and that celebration of the national saint’s day could upset ethnic minority groups. It also accused politicians failing to “engage” with the concept of ‘Englishness’, to help to promote more pride in it.
Celebrate St George’s Day -23 April
Also, I think that the English character is not given to open displays of pride we just carry on. However, many of us will wear a rose flower badge with pride to celebrate the day today :).
The legend is that St George travelled to Libya where he met a poor hermit who told him that a dragon terrorised the country. The dragon demands a beautiful maiden to be sacrificed every day until the daughter of the king remains as the last sacrifice. The king said that if anyone can rescue his daughter her hand will be given in marriage.
Sabra, the princess was being led to the place of “death” when George took her back and persuaded to return to her palace. He then entered the dragon’s valley where the dragon attacked George. George struck the dragon with a spear which broke as the dragon was covered with hard impenetrable scales.
The dragon’s venom was going to poison George as he fell from his horse. Luckily he managed to roll under an enchanted orange tree, against which poison would not work. After he regained his strength George struck the beast with his sword to no avail; the dragon poured poison on him and his armour which split in two.
George refreshed himself again from the magic orange tree. With his sword, he rushed at the dragon and pierced it under its wing where there were no scales. George was able to kill the dragon.
We do not know if he settled down with Sabra.
The possible real George is believed to have been born in Turkey, living in the 3rd century AD. His parents were Christians and George became a Roman soldier at the age of 17. He joined the Roman Army and was renowned for his valour and bravery.
Although he served under the pagan emperor, Diocletian, George did not forget his Christian faith. However, the emperor persecuted Christians. St George pleaded with the emperor to save their lives but he was ignored and Diocletian tried to make St George deny his Christian faith by torture.
St George showing incredible courage and faith would not renounce his faith and was beheaded in Palestine on 23 April 303 AD.
St George is also the patron saint of several countries including part of Spain, Ethiopia, Greece, Palestine and Russia.
English born and with an interesting recorded history, St Edmund who had been England’s Patron Saint until the 12th Century, the Council of Oxford replaced St Edmund. Campaigns have been launched & I tend to agree that St Edmund (Click link) should be reinstated.
St Patrick was born in England; it was then the west coast of Romano- Britain.
Calpurnius, his father, was a Roman citizen who was a deacon. His mother, Consessa, gave him a Roman name, Patricius. His modern Irish Gaelic name is Pádraig. He is affectionally called ‘St Paddy’ too!
With his father being a Christian deacon, Patricius was brought up in the faith.
When he was in his teens, while his parents were away, a group of Irish raiders ransacked his family estate. Patricius together with the servants were abducted and taken to Ireland by the raiders.
Patrick became a slave in Ireland; his master was kind, thus Patricius served him well for six long years.
At that time, Ireland was not predominately a Christian country. Many still had pagan beliefs and worshipped the sun etc. The Druids, an ancient Celtic priesthood practised rites involving the oak tree and the mistletoe and there could have even been human sacrifices.
His religious fervour started in Ireland. In a dream, he heard a voice telling him that it was time for him to leave and go back to England. This, he took seriously and plotted his escape.
He came across a trading vessel and he was hired as a crew. For three days they sailed until they landed in an unknown country. They then travelled on foot for almost a month. Their provisions were gone. The people in the party, whom Patrick said were heathen, taunted him to ask his God for food. Patrick calmly told them “Nothing is impossible to the Lord my God. Turn to him truly, that he may send you food in your path this day till ye are filled, for he has plenty in all places.”
Soon after, a drove of pigs appeared before them, the hungry crewmen slaughtered enough pigs to satiate their hunger. It was believed that the unnamed country was France and that they were in the Bordeaux region.
When Patrick arrived back in Britain, he was greeted warmly.
He studied at a monastery and was ordained in 417.
Patrick never forgot Ireland. He had a series of dreams encouraging and urging him to go back.
It was after he became a bishop that he finally answered the call of Ireland.
There was a legend of St Patrick that he drove all the snakes into the sea, thus Ireland was for many years snake-free. Apparently, this is more a symbolism of converting the pagans into Christianity.
St Patrick did not bring Christianity to Ireland; there were already pockets of Christians in Ireland. What St Patrick did was celebrate, inspire, organise and expand Christianity in Ireland.
St Patrick Day Celebration
Says he, “Boys, don’t be fighting for eight or for nine;
Don’t be always dividing—but sometimes combine;
Combine eight with nine, and seventeen is the mark,
So let that be his birthday.” “Amen,” says the clerk.
So they all got blind drunk—which completed their bliss,
And we keep up the practice from that day to this!
The shamrock is the name given to the young sprigs of clover trefoil. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. According to legend St Patrick used it as a metaphor for the Christian Trinity
Did you know?
The Chicago River is dyed green annually to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
“ST Patrick Prayer
This day I call to me:
God’s strength to direct me,
God’s power to sustain me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s vision to light me,
God’s ear to my hearing,
God’s word to my speaking,
God’s hand to uphold me,
God’s pathway before me,
God’s shield to protect me…
Christ beside me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me. Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ to the right of me, Christ to the left of me,
Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising,
Christ in the heart of all who know me,
Christ on the tongue of all who meet me,
Christ in the eye of all who see me,
Christ in the ear of all who hear me.
For my shield, this day, I call:
a mighty power:
the Holy Trinity!
affirming threeness,
confessing oneness
in the making of all – through love …”
Amen.
St Patrick died on March 17 about 457 or 461 the exact date is unknown. It became the feast day and celebration of St Patrick.
There was no formal canonization process in the Church during its first millennium. In the early years of the Church the title saint was bestowed first upon martyrs, and then upon individuals recognized by tradition as being exceptionally holy during their lifetimes.
To these days, many celebrations and street parades are held in many places to commemorate St Patrick
Ireland of course, Great Britain(well he was English by birth!) US – New York, Chicago, etc., that have strong Irish connections through immigration.
Peter’s favourite colour is green and I like the emerald green which Ireland has it’s ‘national’ colour
London’s St Patrick’s Day Parade involves marching bands, floats, street theatre and more. All 32 Irish counties are represented, dressed in their traditional county colours. Other parade participants include members of London’s Irish community and other Londoners. The parade begins at Green Park at 12 pm and will proceed through central London to Trafalgar Square. The event finishes at 6 pm. Set to be one of London’s liveliest celebrations of the year, over 100,000 people attended last year’s event.
Trafalgar Square will host the festival program of live Irish music and dance on the main performance stage, showcasing the best of Irish music and dance from traditional to contemporary.
I dare say that during the day many glasses full of Guinness, Magners, and Jameson’s whiskey will go bottoms up 😉
