Monday, March 17, 2008

St. Patrick's un-day

St. Patrick's feast got displaced by Holy Week, but you wouldn't know it here in Chicago! Saturday was the "civic" observance, with the dyeing of the Chicago River and the parade (which just doesn't measure up to my New Orleans' standards).
Patrick is up there with Ignatius and John the Baptist in my "favorite saints" category: he's the Apostle of Ireland, the St. Paul of the Celts, the Father of the Irish Church, etc. Even though it's technically not his feast day this year, don't let the day go by without reading at least a few paragraphs of his autobiographical "Confessions." You'll see what I mean about St. Paul.
I'd love to see people take St. Patrick's day more seriously and give Patrick the pulpit for a day. (I wonder what he would say about the drunken leprechaun themes of so many restaurant signs?)
Here's a video I took at the Greening of the River on Saturday...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

How beautiful. You are so creative. Where did the music come from? Could you possibly arrange for someone to do that to our muddy Mississippi river...say in a purple, green and gold motif during the Mardi Gras season?

Anonymous said...

Exciting footage. Why is it called the Greening of the River? Isn't that Lake Michigan?

emeL said...

WOW!!! love the final phrase! how true!!! thanks so much SAJ.
belated happy st Paddys day. xxxxmL

Anonymous said...

To anonymous there is a wee bit of a difference between the river and the Lake. Trust me I have seen both of them.