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Irish Eyes

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I remember my dad’s voice starting out soft and low as he bent near…

There’s a tear in your eye, and I’m wondering why, for it never should be there at all. With such power in your smile, sure a stone you’d beguile, so, there’s never a teardrop should fall. With your sweet lilting laughter like some fairy song, and your eyes twinkling bright as can be, you should laugh all the while and all other times smile. So, now, smile a smile for me….

Then came the part everyone knows, loud and sing-song, When Irish eyes are smiling…

But I love the less familiar, early part. Sometimes Dad would cup a child’s quivering chin in his hands for the song. For the older ones, it was often a look across the room and then he’d start. How could we not end up singing with all our might, even if tears glistened while we did it…”in the lilt of Irish laughter you can hear the angels sing.”

Irish songs, that’s what I remember of St. Patrick’s Day growing up, along with a generally festive air and sense of aren’t-we-the-lucky-ones-that-we-were-born-Irish—plus as a genuine sense of pity for those who were not. History and young adulthood introduced me to the Struggles and the shadow side of the Irish experience. But later in life, I went much farther back in time to explore my Celtic roots and its spirituality, something that became an integral part of who I am and how I pray today. I have given over a full 4-5 feet of my bookshelves to books on Celtic Spirituality, pages that I hope are also written on my heart.

I especially like the pervasive sense of blessing that is a part of that spirituality. Late in the 19th century, Alexander Carmichael traveled through the Hebrides Islands to record in Gaelic, the blessings and prayers of the Celtic oral tradition that had been handed down over centuries. On my shelves I have his Carmina Gaedelica, or Song of the Gaels, a volume thick enough to serve as a booster seat, as it sometimes has for my grandkids. Every aspect of life was blessed from early waking to light of moon, birth to death and all in between, no matter how common: sweeping the hearth, milking the cow, working the loom. This sense of ever-present blessing has become, for me, a tangible part of living. The late John O’Donohue brought this awareness to his poetry, further crafting the art of blessing.

If I could, I would sing for you, as did my father, the prelude to Irish Eyes. What I can offer you is a sample from John O’Donohue’s generous donation of blessings—with the promise to bless you in prayer this day of St. Patrick. Dia Duit!

A Blessing of Solitude

As we rise from Covid isolation into a new sense of self, purpose, and connection. May you recognize in your life the presence, power, and light of your soul. May you realize that you are never alone, that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe. May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here, that behind the façade of your life there is something beautiful, good and eternal happening. May you learn to see yourself with the same delight, pride, and expectation with which God see you in every moment.

Donohue, John, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, (HarperCollins, New York, 1997), p. 125.

Recap of WITNESSES ON THE WAY

Last Saturday was spent in the company of some amazing women of faith from across three time zones, VA, WI, AR, CA, and WA. Together, we created a Living Stations for the Lent retreat, WITNESSES ON THE WAY. It was once again, my joy and privilege to co-present with Betsey Beckman. Thank you Betsey! To the left is a screen shot of some of the participants holding up various crosses.

Some responses:

  • I felt solidarity with those present, with humankind and with our God as I prayed those beautiful words.
  • I absolutely loved infusing prayer with song and dance.
  • The Stations of the Cross became real with each person's witness participating in the Stations.
    A powerful retreat experience.
  • The retreat was rich and powerful in the Spirit. I feel so renewed and restored.
  • The Witness retreat was the most powerful retreat I've been blessed to be a part of.

And the reason for Lent is...

EASTER ENCOUNTERS WITH THE RISEN LORD

April 5th - April 10th

  • Easter Monday: The Women at the Tomb.
  • Easter Tuesday: Mary Magdalene in the Garden.
  • Easter Wednesday: The Road to Emmaus.
  • Easter Thursday: The Upper Room/ Doubting Thomas.
  • Easter Friday: By Shores of the Sea of Galilee
  • Easter Saturday: The Ascension ( a look ahead).
Encounters 1

St. Placid's Priory cordially invites you to linger in the presence of the Risen Lord, each morning of the week after Easter,

Mon, Apr 5 -Sat, Apr 10 9:00-10:30 (PDT).

Begin every day focused on a different Resurrection appearance via Zoom. Kathleen will use the scripture story along with artwork, song, and reflection to help you extend the joy of Easter.

To register: $150 / 6 Sessions, full week.

 Encounters

Lent Shared - One more story too good not to share

While I was working as a house cleaner, I would often pass by people with cardboard signs. I would routinely give them two dollars, but that is a whole other story. On this particular lent I had got the idea that if I saw one of them, I would give them my own lunch.

The day before lent I had a practice day. I saw someone with a sign, but at the last minute I chickened out! I was afraid of facing all the work I would have to do with no food. I was too scared to part with my only source of strength. When I got to my first house, there was a note on the counter with a surprising tip: a banana! God was telling me that He could take care of me even if I had no food.

This gave me the courage to go through with that lent. It remains a satisfying memory because my sacrifice was linked to helping someone. I didn't just give someone food, I became the hungry one myself in their place.

God always took care of me, whether I was hungry or not. - Sheila

Betsey and me from an earlier time--good memories, my friend!

As always, I love to hear from you. You can contact me at Kathleen