Category Archives: Holidays & Holy Days

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March 19, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, Faith & Hope, Holidays & Holy Days, Prayer, Trusting God

THE LORICA

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. [Psalm 5:11 (NIV)]

armorA Latin word, lorica originally meant armor or breastplate. Because of an ancient practice of inscribing a prayer on the armor or shields of knights who then recited the prayer before combat, lorica came to mean a prayer of protection.

Although there are many such prayers, the most famous is the Lorica of St. Patrick (also known as St. Patrick’s Breastplate). Legend has it that around 433 AD, St. Patrick wrote this prayer for protection. As the story goes, on Easter morning, Patrick led his fellow missionaries in a procession to the court of the pagan King Laoghhaire. Suspecting that they would be ambushed by the army of his pagan adversary, Patrick took his men through the woods while chanting this prayer/lorica. Rather than seeing the missionaries amid the trees, their enemies saw a mother deer followed by twenty fawns and let them pass. Having been brought safely through the ambush by God, Patrick and his companions marched into the king’s presence while chanting: “Let them that will, trust in chariots and horses, but we walk in the name of the Lord.”

Whether the story is fact, legend or, as I suspect, somewhere in-between, this beautiful hymn (also known as The Deer’s Cry) appears to be the first one ever written in Gaelic and quite likely by the beloved Patrick. In 1889, Cecil Alexander produced a metrical version of the prayer from an earlier English translation and the resulting hymn was set to traditional Irish tunes. Called “I Bind Unto Myself Today,” this beautiful old lorica can be found in the hymnals of many denominations and heard on You Tube.

Prayers for protection and deliverance are found throughout Scripture. Moses, David, Ezra, and Nehemiah all prayed for protection for themselves and others and Jesus prayed for the protection of His followers. We may not be facing Druids in the woods, but we enter into battle against evil every day. While we don’t wear armor or carry shields, we can proceed as did Patrick and his men: by wearing the armor of God, binding ourselves to Him in prayer, and walking in the name of the Lord.

I bind unto myself today
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three. …
I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard. …
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the name,
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.
[St. Patrick’s Breastplate (Attributed to St. Patrick)] 

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. [Ephesians 6:13-15 (NIV)]

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March 16, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Grace & Love, God's Plan, Holidays & Holy Days, Sharing Our Faith, Thanks & Praise

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. [Psalm 1:1-3 (CSB]

lucky IrishWhen we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, I suspect the revered bishop who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century wouldn’t recognize this day in his honor. Originally a religious feast, it’s now a day for parades, sales, “Kiss Me I’m Irish” t-shirts, corned beef and cabbage, music, dancing, and lots of green (including hair, cookies, the Chicago River, milk shakes, and kegs of beer). St. Patrick, however, would recognize the common symbol of the day: the shamrock. Of course, to Patrick, the shamrock, with its three leaflets bound by a common stem, was a metaphor for the Holy Trinity. The shamrock’s three leaflets also came to symbolize faith, hope, and love.

“The luck of the Irish” may trace back to the thousands of superstitions in Irish folklore. (Getting married in May is bad luck but seeing a white horse in the morning is good!) The “lucky” four-leaf clover has its origins in ancient Celtic folklore. Irish and Celtic myths and legends also tell of fairies (Aes Sídhe) and pesky goblins (Púca) who were known to hand out both good and bad luck to humans. Nevertheless, it’s hard to see how a people who were invaded by Vikings, suppressed at the hand of England, suffered mass starvation during the Irish Potato Famine, failed at every revolution, and were treated like third class citizens upon their arrival in the U.S. could be called “lucky.”

According to Edwin T. O’Donnell of Holy Cross College, “the luck of the Irish” originally was a derogatory phrase here in the United States. During the silver and gold rush days of the 19th century, some of the most successful miners were Irish or Irish/American. Saying a miner’s success was “just the luck of the Irish” meant that it was mere happenstance and had nothing to do with the hours of drudgery the miner endured, the danger he faced, the sacrifices he made, the loneliness he suffered, or his skill with a pick and shovel.

Anne, a woman in my Bible study, mentioned her daughter’s recent school assignment. The girl and her parents were to paste pictures of the things that made them lucky on a large green construction paper shamrock. A woman of faith, Anne didn’t want to be one of those parents who make a mountain out of every molehill encountered in public school. Nevertheless, she credits God (not luck) with her family’s blessings, so she and her daughter pondered how to proceed with the assignment in a way that honors God. They pasted photos of their family on their “Lucky Family” shamrock and then wrote these words: “No luck involved! We are blessed by the grace of God to be a happy family!”

Attributing their happy family to luck would be as insulting to God as saying the success of a miner who’d struggled in difficult circumstances to stake his claim was just “the luck of the Irish.” Nevertheless, that construction paper shamrock with its three leaves also symbolizes what enables Anne’s family to live with joy, peace, forgiveness, and confidence: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who govern and fill their lives. Moreover, the happiness of her family has to do with their faith, hope, and love (both for God and for one another). There was no “lucky” fourth leaflet on their shamrock because luck has nothing to do with it; God, however, does!

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. [James 1:16-17 (CSB)]

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March 5, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Challenges & Difficulty, Church & Worship, Holidays & Holy Days, Knowing Him, Prayer

SEEKING HIM DURING LENT

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. [Daniel 9:3 (CSB)]

Even now—this is the Lord’s declaration—turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and he relents from sending disaster. [Joel 2:12-13 (CSB)]

MOCKINGBIRDWe’re two weeks into the season of Lent. While we typically associate this time before Easter with giving up something, it is more than simply abstaining or fasting from some thing or things. Fasting without prayer is nothing more than a diet and abstaining from some pleasure without prayer is more like dry January than a Lenten discipline! Without prayer, fasting and abstinence are physical acts but not spiritual ones! When we give up something for Lent, we need to deliberately and intentionally seek the Lord in prayer at the same time!

Faith is a living thing, and like all living things, it needs to be nurtured and fed to grow. During Lent, as we abstain from worldly things, we feast on the spiritual so that this season of self-denial becomes one of growth. Lent is the time to feed our faith with extra servings of prayer and Scripture along with Christian fellowship, praise, thanksgiving, and worship.

If we choose to observe Lent, there are a few words of warning. We must be cautious of spiritual pride—thinking we’re better or “more spiritual” than others who may not observe this season or might practice it in a different way. How we keep this season is between us and God and not to be compared to anyone else’s Lenten practice. We shouldn’t be like the proud Pharisee in Jesus’ parable who compared himself to the tax collector while boasting that he fasted twice a week and gave away a tenth of all he received. Spiritual pride means we’re looking at ourselves instead of the Lord. Jesus reminded His listeners that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” [Luke 18:14]

Just as self-denial is not a way to boost our egos, let us never make the mistake of thinking that giving up something for Lent has any merit as far as our salvation is concerned. Self-denial and fasting are not done to curry favor and earn ”brownie points” with God. Neither fasting nor abstinence give us special standing before God and they won’t make God love us any more than He already does!

Moreover, we must never give up something as a way of manipulating God into doing something for us; there no quid pro quo in God’s Kingdom! Fasting and abstinence won’t sprinkle spiritual vitamins and minerals on our prayers to give them extra power. We don’t adopt a spiritual discipline so God will do what we want—we do it so we’ll do what He wants! Fasting and abstaining change us, not God! They’re like cleaning our glasses so we better see God and cleaning the wax from our ears so that we hear Him more clearly. Rather than getting a better response to our prayers, self-denial leads to better prayers!

Finally, Jesus specifically warned us about the danger of hypocrisy while fasting. Lent’s purpose is not to impress others with our devotion. It’s personal and private—between us and God—it’s a secret commitment rather than a public display. May we always remember that we fast to please the Lord—not to impress others!

Prayer is reaching out after the unseen; fasting is letting go of all that is seen and temporal. Fasting helps express, deepen, confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God. [Andrew Murray]

Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. [Matthew 6:16-17(CSB)]

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March 2, 2026

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Bible Stories, God's Plan, Holidays & Holy Days, Miracles

PURIM

These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants. [Esther 9:28 (NLT)]

Sunset tonight begins the 14th day of Adar in the Hebrew year 5783 and the Jewish celebration of  Purim (or the Festival of Lots). Lasting until sunset tomorrow night, Purim commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation in the ancient Persian Empire. Purim means “lots” in Persian and this holy day gets its name from the way the diabolical Haman determined the date to “destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people—young and old, women and children—and plunder their possessions.”

I first learned about this holiday in college when my Jewish roommate received boxes of delicious hamantaschen cookies she graciously shared with me. Hidden inside the sweet flaky triangular-shaped pastries was a sweet filling of either poppy seeds, prunes, or apricots. My roomie said the cookies represented Haman’s three-cornered hat but other sources say they represent his ears or the villain’s pockets filled with money. But, I’m getting ahead of myself without telling you the whole megillah.

“The whole megillah” is an idiom taken from Yiddish that means a long convoluted story, but the Megillah (with a capital M) is a scroll of the book of Esther (which truly is a complicated story filled with plot twists). It will be read during a synagogue service tonight and again tomorrow. The Megillah is read twice to emphasize that everything is orchestrated by God! Rather than the solemnity you’d expect in a place of worship on a holy day, it’s read very dramatically. Each of the 54 times the evil Haman’s name is mentioned, the congregation raucously stomp their feet, boo, hiss, and swing greggers (ratchet noisemakers).

The mitzvoth (religious duties) of Purim are outlined in Esther 9, the first of which is the reading of the Megillah. The second duty is that of feasting and joy. Families and friends feast on hamantaschen and kreplach. Children (and sometimes adults) dress in costume as Esther, Mordecai, or silly characters. Emphasizing the importance of friendship and community, the third mitzvah is to send portions of food to one another (which explains the hamantaschen sent to my roommate). The final mitzvah is that of giving gifts to the poor. To ensure that all Jews can experience the joy of Purim, every Jew is supposed to give money or food to at least two needy people.

Whether or not you’re familiar with the story of Esther, I urge you to read it. Unique about this short book is that God’s name is never mentioned. Nevertheless, His divine attention, direction, and power are evident on every page. His fingerprints are all over every coincidence in the story—from Mordecai overhearing a plot against the king and saving the king’s life to the king’s sleepless night that caused him to learn of Mordecai’s part in his rescue; from Queen Vashti’s banishment to Esther being drafted into the king’s harem; from Esther finding favor with the harem eunuch to being chosen queen; and from the massacre’s date being determined by the throwing of lots to Haman appearing to molest Esther just as Xerxes entered the room.

The miracles in this story were disguised as natural events and, like the sweet filling in the hamantaschen cookies and the savory ground beef or chicken inside the kreplach, God’s intervention was hidden. While God’s name isn’t found in the book of Esther, His activity is! He overruled history, overturned the plans of the wicked, and saved His people. Not every miracle involves something as dramatic as the parting of the sea. Sometimes, God’s miracles can be found in an unlikely friendship, overheard words, a bout of insomnia, the page of a king’s history book, or a roll of the dice!

Although Christians don’t observe Purim, perhaps we should. Let us never forget that Haman’s decree of death to the Jews extended to all Jews in the Persian empire, which would have included those Jews who had begun returning to Judah. Had Haman succeeded in his genocide, the Davidic line would have ended and disrupted God’s plan to send His son to be born a Jew in Bethlehem. The message we find in Esther is a simple one: God’s plans cannot be thwarted.

“For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.” [Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NLT)]

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him? [Isaiah 14:27 (NLT)]

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February 16, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, Holidays & Holy Days, Salvation: A New You, Temptation & Sin

THE SEASON OF LENT

Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry. [Luke 4:1-2 (CSB)]

LITTLE BLUE HERONLent begins on Wednesday. Beginning with the solemn reminder that we are but dust and to dust we shall return and concluding with Christ’s victory over death on Easter Sunday, the season’s forty days represent the time the Lord spent alone in the wilderness, fasting in preparation for his ministry, and undergoing Satan’s temptations. A period of self-discipline and repentance, Lent often is observed by such things as contemplation, confession, prayer, fasting, moderation, service, and giving

Lent is a season of self-denial but not for the sake of self-denial; it’s about emptying ourselves as we take up our crosses to follow Jesus! Sometimes, we’re so full of ourselves, there’s not enough room for God. Lent is about having less of us so there is more of Him! We can choose to fast—which is abstaining from food—or choose to abstain from some pastime or habit that may be impeding our relationship with God. The purpose of fasting or abstaining is to develop a hunger for God that is greater than our craving for the temptations and pleasures of life.

Like the beginning of a new year, Lent affords us an opportunity to do some serious soul searching. Have we cooled in our devotion to the Lord and our enthusiasm for His work? Are we using our time, talents, and spiritual gifts as God wants them used? Is there anything hindering our relationship with the Lord? Do we need to realign our hearts and have a spiritual reset? If so, Lent is an opportune time to prayerfully turn away from the small pleasures, indulgences, and bad habits or influences that have distracted or derailed us spiritually. The self-denial of Lent is abstaining from anything (other than God) that ordinarily fills a need we have—whether food, drink, shopping, or some other indulgence or guilty pleasure. Giving us gratification and comfort, it is taking up space in our hearts that rightfully belongs to God!

Andrew Murray describes fasting this way: “Fasting helps express, deepens, confirms the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.” Simply put, fasting and abstinence are ways to show God that He is more important to us than any pleasures of this world. Whether we give up certain foods or meals, computer games, Net Flix, social media, or our free time to work in the homeless shelter, Lent is a time to reorganize our priorities and put God where He rightfully belongs—in the center of our lives!

Nothing in Scripture demands Lent’s observance; if and how we observe Lent is a personal choice. Nevertheless, my prayer for you is that these next six weeks will be ones of spiritual renewal and growth.

Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood? [Isaiah 58:6-7 (CSB)]

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January 5, 2026

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, God's Grace & Love, Holidays & Holy Days, Today: Make it Count, Trusting God

MAKING IT HOLY

Lowdermilk Beach-NaplesRemember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. [Exodus 20:8-10 (ESV)]

I’ve always thought of the first four commandments (only one God, no idols, not taking Lord’s name in vain, and keeping the Sabbath) as being about our relationship with God and the next six (honoring parents and the prohibitions on murder, adultery, stealing, false witness, and coveting) about our relationship with people. The fourth commandment, however, seems to be a bridge between the two sections because it has as much to do with people as it does with God. Reminding us that we have six days in the week for work, it tells us to stop work on the seventh and keep the day “holy.” Rather than a “thou shalt not” law, this commandment is a gift to us from God—it is the gift of rest and rejuvenation!

As happened with many of God’s commands, the Israelites took this simple law and added their own restrictions and interpretations. Wanting a clear definition of work, they categorized 39 kinds of activities considered work and then further defined prohibited activities within each category. What was supposed to be a blessing became an inconvenience! Since His hungry disciples plucked grain on the Sabbath and Jesus had no qualms about healing on the Sabbath, He often came into conflict with the Pharisees about His Sabbath observance (or lack thereof). When criticized, Jesus made it clear that the Sabbath was made for man and should not be an onerous legal requirement. The only Sabbath laws He and the disciples broke were the man-made ones of the Pharisees. Jesus, however, never said to ignore the Sabbath; after all, He was the “Lord of the Sabbath.”

For Jesus and the disciples, Saturday was the Sabbath day and it remains the Jewish day of worship and rest today. The mostly Jewish early church continued to worship on Saturday but, by the second century, Sunday (“the Lord’s Day”) became the day of worship. Some branches of Christianity continue to observe Saturday as their Sabbath but, for most of us, Sunday is our “Sabbath.”

In reality, other than possibly attending church, Sundays are pretty much like any other day of the week.  Parking lots are full at the grocery, hardware, and mall; cell phones and the internet keep us in touch with work; and the kids have sports and homework. Sundays have become the day to complete everything that didn’t get done during the week. With families scattered every which way, even the traditional Sunday dinner (complete with cousins and grandparents at the table) is but a distant memory. Regardless of which day of the week it is, have we missed some of the beauty of a Sabbath in our busyness?

Does keeping this day “holy” mean sitting quietly all day, reading nothing but Scripture, and doing nothing but praying? Could it be something more? Could keeping it holy simply mean that we rest from our ordinary work, dedicate the day to God, and intentionally make it different from the rest of our week? We can do that by taking something away (as did the Israelites with their many work prohibitions) or by adding something special to it.

Instead of my husband catching up on paperwork or me writing on Sundays, we try to trust God for enough hours in the other six days to do those things. In an attempt to disconnect from the busyness of the world and connect with one another, family, friends, and God, we try to deliberately set aside time for relaxation, laughter, fun, and fellowship by doing something out of the ordinary. That may be a bags tourney with neighbors, a barbecue for friends, or spending the afternoon at the zoo or botanical gardens. It also can be as simple as a game of Rummikub or cribbage or moving from the breakfast bar to the dining room table for a special “Sunday dinner.” Nevertheless, good intentions are not enough and, during the pre-holiday rush, we found ourselves “too busy” to stop and enjoy God’s gift and set His day apart. Perhaps, that’s why God made keeping holy the Sabbath a commandment rather than a suggestion!

How we set our Sabbath apart from the rest of the week in a way that both honors God and nurtures us will vary from family to family. It’s probably naïve to think children won’t have homework and working moms and dads won’t have to play catch-up with chores. Nevertheless, we must remember why God gave us this commandment. He wants us to recharge our batteries—to be still and know that He is God. The Sabbath is our time to rest from the week’s busyness, take a break from our daily routine, connect with one another, find joy in His creation, and rest in Him. When we neglect having a Sabbath, we neglect both God and ourselves and turn whatever it is we do the rest of the week into tedium and drudgery. God doesn’t need a Sabbath, but we surely do.

Thank you, God, for the gift of the Sabbath. May our Sabbaths be days of worship, renewal, connection, rest, peace, and joy.

A world without a Sabbath would be like a man without a smile, like a summer without flowers, and like a homestead without a garden. It is the joyous day of the whole week. [Henry Ward Beecher]

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” [Mark 2:27-28 (ESV)]

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