I am troubled now, but what should I say?

What a poignant question from Jesus!

This Sunday, the guest homilist at my weekend Sunday Mass will be my good friend and neighbor: retired Lutheran pastor Martin Goldberg.

So a few thoughts on March 17, St. Patrick Day:

Celtic Spiituality springs forth from its ancient Celtic source which spiritualizes mountains, lakes, streams, the holy earth, and holy wells on the earth.

Notice at the Easter Vigil when the celebrant plunges the

Christ candle into the baptismal water that this is really a synbol of Christ impregnating the baptismal water!...an ancient Celtic ritual!

and only the Celts describe earth with endearment:

as "The Dear Old Sod."

Celtic Spirituality through Saint Francis underlies the current pope's encylical "Love for the Earth."

The chief holy site in Ireland is the Holy Mountain Croagh Patrick, pictured below, which Larry Dorsey and I climbed on a midnight pilgrimage on a July 25 night in 1973

And so a Celtic Blessing:

May the road rise to meet you,

the rain fall soft upon your fields,

May the wind always be at your back.

The sun shine warm upon your face.

And until we meet afain,

may you be held in the palm of God's hand.

Amen