Crazy Irish Friday....

Life responsibilities had me busy over the weekend, so I missed my usual day. But, this being the week of St. Patrick's day, all is well by the Irish calendar.

I deeply regret not having read Chesterton's Irish Impressions as of this date. I have seen some very good quotes pulled from it over a number of subject areas.

As I contemplate this upcoming holy bacchanal of a Saint's day Ive had a couple ideas really stick in my mind. One is the glaring paradox of the Irish Church having such a tradition of deep mysticism, yet at the same time a reputation for raucous brawling. I do not have the book available, but I remember Bishop Fulton Sheen doing a show on the Irish.

The second thing Ive noticed as I browse the internet and bookstores is just how much of a subculture there is in the area of celtic mysticism within New Age circles. Most of this is historically weak and philosophically weaker, but I will grant those adherents the benefit of having a sense of Zeitgeist. The age of our immigrant grandparents is over, but I do believe that we can capture the essence of their spirituality and the wisdom of their saints in a way deeper than they themselves carried by ethic convention alone.