Theology Reflections

Thank you, St Patrick!

In 387-461, during the roman empire St Patrick was a missionary who brought a fresh expression of the Gospel in Europe! Thanks to him the Gospel stayed alive!

Here is his prayer:

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.
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 judgement of Doom.
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 prediction 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 devils,
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 souls,
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

Here’s a great article about St. Patrick: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/20898-the-true-story-of-st-patrick

∞03:14 pm, by katelyn24

Just had a great divine appointment over coffee. A friend of mine I go to school with was sitting right next to where I was standing while waiting for my “caramel macchiato.” You never know who you may run into. It is a small world, but God is big, and since he can see everything, it’s no wonder he connects us to people and brings our worlds together.

Thank you God for good conversation and reflection with new friends :).

∞09:26 pm, by katelyn24

3 BIG questions I have to ask myself for my research:

1). Who is Jesus through the eyes of the past and present, as well as, the eyes of differences in cultures, religions, gender, etc…?

2). What is the meaning for Jesus’ uniqueness in the contemporary world and faith?

3). How can Christianity around the world reflect the Jesus of the Bible while at the same time reflect a global view of Jesus? How can we work together in doing this including with other faith traditions?

∞08:22 pm, reblogged by katelyn24 ∩83

[jesus] [global] [faith]

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

Dr. Seuss

∞07:39 pm, by katelyn24

You know, at one time I worked for the World Council of Churches and we were based in London. I came from Africa. There was someone from Taiwan. There was someone from Malaysia, someone from the States, and then someone from Latin America, and he introduced me to Latin American liberation theology. And I came to visit for the first time in the United States and here encountered black theology. So all of that was a very significant part of what helped to open my eyes. Mercifully, there isn’t anything like the so-called self-made person.

I mean, they are people who helped to form me. And then discovering that the Bible could be such dynamite. I subsequently used to say if these white people had intended keeping us under they shouldn’t have given us the Bible. Because, whoa, I mean, it’s almost as if it is written specifically just for your situation. I mean, the many parts of it that were so germane, so utterly to the point for us…

When you discover that apartheid sought to mislead people into believing that what gave value to human beings was a biological irrelevance, really, skin color or ethnicity, and you saw how the scriptures say it is because we are created in the image of God, that each one of us is a God-carrier. No matter what our circumstances may be, no matter how awful, no matter how deprived you could be, it doesn’t take away from you this intrinsic worth. One saw just how significant it was.

Desmond Tutu, from “Tutu’s God of Surprises” (via beingblog)

∞12:45 pm, reblogged by katelyn24 ∩21