PHOTO: DailyMailUK
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It was supposed to be green the week of St. Patrick’s Day. Suddenly, it was blizzard-white.
Eager Irishmen and those wannabes thought it ridiculous. Parades were in peril. Parties cancelled. The bars would lose their (green) shirts. Boston would sink into a state of mourning.
Snow is the great interrupter. Its presence and accompanying cold prevented Hitler from a successful invasion of Russia in 1941 and, more importantly, was responsible for delaying my midterms in college.
Yes, from St. Paddy’s cancellations to World Wars to sorrowful school days off, snow has prevented many a thing.
But it did not stop St. Patrick from praying while shepherding in the open winter fields during the years of his kidnapped-captivity in Ireland.
“The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same…I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.”*
St. Patrick
A couple of chilling conclusions came from Pat’s captivity in the cold.
First, I sweat (bad choice of words for snow) the small stuff. Really, perhaps an Irish concert will get cancelled or I’ll miss some corned beef and cabbage.
Secondly, I can make up extremely plausible excuses for staying in a warm, cozy bed instead of getting up for prayer – no less being out in the elements.
Thirdly, the white of snow may remind me of The Good Lord’s cleansing instead of the color of the spring grass which makes for a poorer metaphor of cheap green beer.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: It’s the oldest trick of Satan to substitute the cheesy for a sacred portal… and have us fall for it as well. Make the devil green with envy by talking with God all of the time. Better to be snowed in than plowed under.
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ… even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light
Galatians 1:6 NASB, 2 Corinthians 11:14 NASB
*uCatholic.com