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." (Mk 12:28-34)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031723.cfm
It’s said that Irish diplomacy is “the art of telling someone to go to hell and having them look forward to the trip." Saint Patrick, on the otherhand, used faith, hope and love to convert the Irish so that they would never have to make that particular journey.
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saint Patrick, Apostle to Ireland, March 17
