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Gospel: Mark 12: 28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
On the surface, we may associate this day with parades, dancing, Guinness, soda bread, and even the Chicago River dyed green.
But behind this feast is the remarkable story of a man whose life and legacy still speaks to us today.
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When he was a boy, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery. He spent the next several years suffering terribly from hunger and the cold.
Eventually, he escaped and made his way back to Britain, where he entered the seminary and became a priest, serving locally for 20 years.
One night Patrick had a dream. A voice with an Irish accent pleaded with him, “We appeal to you, to come and walk among us.”
Patrick knew the call came from the Lord, so he returned to Ireland a free man.
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Imagine the courage it took him to return to the land that once enslaved him. But off he went, spending the final 28 years of his life spreading the Catholic faith.
With the help of his friends and the grace of the Holy Spirit, Patrick converted an entire nation.
Today 90% of Ireland identifies as Catholic.
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Imagine what this parish – and the Church at large – can do if we embrace Patrick’s courageous spirit, sharing our faith with others one word, one gesture, one invite at a time.
(Consider what we’ve already done!)
Together, we will continue our mission of building community; worshiping God; and making disciples.
Saint Patrick, pray for us!
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Image credits: (1) National Geographic Kids (2) The Conversation (3) Catholic Faith Store