Feast Day: St. Patrick's Day ...

St. Patrick's Prayer, also known as, "St. Patrick's Breastplate"

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through the belief in the threeness,

Through the confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,

Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,

Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,

Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.
I arise today

Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,

In obedience of angels,

In the service of archangels,

In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In prayers of patriarchs,

In predictions of prophets,

In preaching of apostles,

In faith of confessors,

In innocence of holy virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today

Through the strength of heaven:

Light of sun,Radiance of moon,Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,Swiftness of wind,Depth of sea,

Stability of earth,Firmness of rock.
I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me:

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's host to save me

From snares of demons,

From temptations of vices,

From everyone who shall wish me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,

Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me today

Against poison,

against burning,

Against drowning,

against wounding,

So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

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

Amen!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all .... we've actually been enjoying the great Saint's feast for the past few days. We started Saturday with:

the parade in Manassas.

And, man, was it cold for March 14th (somewhere round about hi-30s)!

The Young Marines marched and looked wonderful -- LegoManiac, being one of the height-challenged boys, is in the very back of the group, but he didn't mind one bit!

We also watched the others prance, dance and drive past: Irish dancers, wolfhounds and even

the good Saint himself!

We then came home (mostly to warm up!) and the kids watched one of their favorite Irish movies, The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, a classic story of the big bad American coming to Ireland to capitalize on the pristine beauty only to find more than he bargained for! Great stuff. They followed that with Darby O'Gill (a classic when I was little; that young Sean Connery is a joy to behold). Tonight, they'll watch The Quiet Man, while I head out for a theology lecture at dh's high school.

For dinner, I'm making this amazing Irish Beef and Guiness Stew from Jessica on Catholic Cuisine. If the smell is any indicator, this stuff is going to be great! I've also made two loaves of cranberry soda bread that is always a big hit and with a salad, we should have a really great meal.

We've also been talking lots about the saint and what he did to help spread the gospel throughout Ireland. Much of his life is shaded in myth, but there are bits that are true -- primarily that he evangelized the faith to a country that stayed Catholic through the Reformation and beyond, bringing their strong faith to the new world as they emigrated from their homeland! It's said that on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish -- but we truly are and we're very proud of that fact!

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Recipes:

Irish Beef and Guiness Stew (Jessica on Catholic Cuisine)

Ingredients:
· 2 pounds lean beef stew meat
· 3 tbs vegetable oil, divided
· 2 tbs all-purpose flour
· salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
· 1 pinch cayenne pepper
· 2 large onions, chopped
· 1 clove garlic, crushed
· 2 tbs tomato paste
· 1 1/2 cups Guiness stout beer (or other Irish Stout)
· 2 cups carrot, cut into chunks
· 1 sprig fresh thyme
· 1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:Trim the meat of any fat, cut into 2 inch cubes, and toss them in a bowl with 1 tbs of the vegetable oil. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture to coat.Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions and crushed garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water (to dilute); pour into the pan, stir to blend, cover and cook gently (reduce heat if necessary) for about 5 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.Yields: Six to Eight Servings

[NOTE: I added 3 potatoes, cleaned and chopped up as what's Irish Stew without potatoes!]

Cranberry Soda Bread -- If you're not already a fan of soda bread, you will be after you've tried this variation. To achieve the right texture, you should cool it before serving.

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet and dust it with cornmeal. Measure the oats into a bowl, then stir in the buttermilk, honey, and oil. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and make a well in the middle. Pour the liquid into it and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls together in a shaggy mass. Let the dough rest for 3 minutes. Turn it onto a floured surface and gently knead the dough for about 30 seconds. Next, divide it in half and form each half into a football shape with rounded ends. Place the loaves on the baking sheet with plenty of room between them and cut a shallow slit down the center of each. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake another 25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden and crusty and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Cool before serving. Makes 2 loaves.