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St. Patrick: Intimacy with God

The Reverend Christopher Hogin St. Patrick: Intimacy with God Jeremiah 31:31 – 34; Psalm 51:1-3. The Episcopal Church of the Ascension March 17, 2018 Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day. All sort of celebrations commenced. In Chicago, they dyed the river green. In Boston, a massive St. Patrick’s Day parade was held. Yet few people know about the man they celebrate. When asked the question, “who was Saint Patrick,” taken from a video clip, here was one of my favorite replies from a partygoer in Boston: “Uh yeah, he’s the guy on the Lucky Charms cereal box. He drove the snakes into the ha-bar!” Not exactly, but he is both a Roman Catholic AND an Anglican saint? Here at Ascension, we have a stained-glass window of him. Patrick, or Patricus (his Latin name), was born in 390 on the northwest coast of Britain. He grew up in a comfortable home. By all accounts he was a beloved child. His grandfather was a priest (when priests could still marry), and his father a de

Savior, Teach Us So to Rise

“Savior, teach us so to rise” The Rev. Canon Patricia M. Grace Lent IV – Year B Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14-21 Church of the Ascension                                  March 11, 2018 “The soul of the people was greatly discouraged because of the way” Numbers 21:4 (KJV) Many years ago I was in trouble.   No, not legal or financial trouble – I had trouble in my soul…             the problem was spiritual. I was in a situation in which I felt unfairly treated, even somewhat abused             by someone I worked for; someone I also deeply respected and loved as a friend. I struggled daily with intense feelings of rage and resentment,             desiring revenge and retribution… even though I knew there had to be a better way to handle things. Over time, I began to live only in that space of anger and bitterness… those emotions becoming like close, comfortable companions, something I nurtured, tended to – and not in a good way.