Thinking of St. Patrick

In addition to having a plan for what green to wear today, I'm thinking of St. Patrick. I read a little about him last night, but my retention was low, so I don't have any profound truth to share. What I do find myself thinking about is suffering. All the saints have crazy stories of suffering and following Jesus at high cost. I weep to think how much I DON'T want to suffer. I told Jesus earlier (with a smile through the tears) that I'd like to see a list of the possible ways I might suffer in my life and be allowed to cross off the things I think would be "too much". For example, I might accept another labor and delivery, but ixnay the uterine cancer.

I was reading about Hope in The Virtue Driven Life just now and there was a story of a young man dying of AIDS who from his hospital bed saw the angels coming for him. What hope and confidence! I don't feel worthy to have the angels and saints come welcoming me into heaven. Now don't get all Protestant-view-of-justification on me. I know what it means that Jesus died for me. But I do see a bigger picture now, and I see the saints interceding for me. I even felt driven earlier to ask Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to pray for me. But I realize the need, too, to strive to align my life more with the saints' lives. And, most of all with the cross of Jesus. So, in that, I could sure use YOUR prayers, too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm off to don the jeans and the green t-shirt.