February 8th - March 9th

Welcome back!

The last month has been one of incredible growth for you in the Emerald Isle.

This past weekend you attended a three day class trip to Kildare and the stunning Ring of Kerry. There is one particularly beautiful view, "Our Lady's View" that overlooks a spot where several Irish emigrants left to pursue a better-fed life in America. You learned some significant facts about Irish history, botany, and culture. You received a powerful confession and brilliant vigil mass at a certain Holy Cross church in a small village. On Sunday, you saw a little white lamb, a dog sprinting to catch its master, and other significant little details. As you walked along a beach on the other side of the Atlantic, you contemplated the near limitless reflections of God's limitless glory all around you, including those of your shining classmates.


You have been trying to spend this Lent with the Lord, paying closer attention to him in order to respond better in love. Papa Benedict (in his book "Journey to Easter") has been very helpful in this regard, and you will be happy to be with him for Easter. Also very helpful is a preparation booklet for a special Marian consecration you will be making on the feast of the Annuciation, March 25.

You have been growing a deeper love for the sacraments.

You have been loved unconditionally by many caring companions, and by the Lord of the skies.


You have been given more understanding in many respects, yet have developed a greater appreciation of Mystery.

You have been learning to see study in a new light, without idolizing it. It is thus becoming harder to confine your desire within academia, but...

You have been slowly learning patience and humility, necessary steps to a greater love.

You visited another cathartic beach (Bray) and an interesting castle, among other things. At Bray there was a large cross, and beyond it wide hills for the hiking. At the castle there was a statue of a confident soldier with a lion at his feet (reminding you of Mark Tancredi...), and an image of scales reflecting your growing thirst for justice.

You have sought to go deeper and deeper into life, into truth, and into love.

You love to say the Angelus and the Our Father.

--
You are in my prayers and heart!
Much love,
Patrick

January 25th - February 7th

Welcome back! You must be wondering how your time (through me) in Ireland is going. Please forgive the delay.

Let me share a few snippets of life in Ireland.

+This Friday, you visited Malahide castle with some good companions - Kayla, Andrew, Stacey, Sam, Mary, Molly, and John. God gave us great weather! We stopped at an awesome playground to play with an abundance of energy, then moved on to a historic castle of an old Catholic family in Ireland, took a wandering through forrest and across chasms en route to the..., sea - which was a sign of the infinite and the beach very cathartic as well, but before we got to the sea Our Lady and St. Sylvester graciously provided a church where we all sat with the King in adoration for 10 minutes; we finished in a pub with a nice meal together. All in all, a marvelous day. God is great

+This Saturday you learned more about the relation of art and religion/happiness/morality, especially in view of Chaucer's Pardoner's Tale. In general I am becoming more and more fascinated about how to communicate truth in an interesting and effective way to different people (but of course I first have to draw closer to the Person who is Truth!)

+Also for class, you have moved on to the modernist poet William Carlos Williams (who has surprised me with some decent poems), more Yeats (a closer look at his evolving style, and how he apparently recognizes more difficulties to having the transcendent ideals that he pines for realized), Daniel O'Connel ("the [political] liberator" of Catholics in Ireland - hero or near-Barabbas?), the Irish potato famine, further development of early Church and Church doctrine, and St. Patrick, among other things.

+Both this Sunday and last Sunday, you have been given absolutely jaw-dropping masses at the Sacred Heart church, a 30 minute walk away. Everything was providential and beautiful. God is great

+Last weekend you visited Dublin castle with Andrew. A good day. We had burgers with Stacey, Patricia, and Emily from PLS. Was stopped in the streets by a separated brethren missionary for a Pentecostal church called St. Mark's. We were moved by each other

+You have been becoming better friends with Sandra the faithful. She lent me 2 beautiful Spirito Gentil Cd's (Schubert and Beethoven)! Continuing to learn about charity and beauty, through CL and other providential sources. She also introduced me to some other CL Europeans at the English school.

+You had a good heart to heart talk with Davide, a grad student from CL

+You've spent some free time reading the Bible, John of the Cross, Therese, Benedict, Dubay, Aquinas, and Merton. Learning to read faster :)

+Today you asked an Irish priest for spiritual direction. We will meet Friday after mass.

+I have been blessed to receive communion almost every day, and even to be with the King in adoration a few times per week

+In general you have begun to move beyond the tomb of self in life, placing all hope in Jesus and his infinite love which comprehends all desire, when seen and shared. Many vocational questions are being asked and answered at this time, but of course I am trying to go deeper where I am and to serve my neighbor diligently, as Fr. Nathan proposed for me. I still have a long way to go.

+My friends here are awesome. I can see God's love at work in them, in their different unique ways. God is the greatest

There is of course more to tell, but you'll have to suffer in expectation!
In the mean time I'll do my best to live it up for you.

Much love
Patrick

PS in the playground pic I got down almost immediately bc I didn't want to corrupt the nearby children
PPS I will have some more pics up on facebook very soon!

Great pictures from Howth and Wicklow trips!

These albums belong to my friend Kayla. Copy and paste the links into your browser to see the pics. Included in the Wicklow album is my friends' trip to Bray; I did not go there. If you want to travel to the Wicklow mts alone, just scroll down to the bottom half.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=kbishop412&target=ALBUM&id=5427694383150739009&authkey=Gv1sRgCISsl5HE3rKRggE&invite=COz-xP0C&feat=email

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=kbishop412&target=ALBUM&id=5430392941522844817&authkey=Gv1sRgCPz_kqWrudqfnwE&invite=CLLBw5AG&feat=email

Much love
Patrick

Welcome! The first 1.5 weeks.

You are at the place where my unworthy words on Ireland can be multiplied and then distributed to be eaten at your pleasure, if it be possible that my words bring pleasure. Welcome!

Some pictures will be posted, but more can be found on facebook. Look on my profile for my posted pictures and those pictures of my friends.

You are free to post questions as comments. I will respond as energy permits.

Highlight reel thus-far:
+My three main church buildings for the sacraments, especially that inconceivable gift of the Eucharist: St. Therese (she gives good words on vocation), Our Lady seat of Wisdom (the UCD chapel), St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral (beautiful music)
+Slowly starting to recover from mental exhaustion
+Oddly, the story of Israel's kings is helping my understanding of my life
+Learning about how poets can affect the modern world.
+Reading TS Eliot, WB Yeats, and Chaucer for class, among others
+Reading Therese, St. John of Cross, Dubay, Merton, several books of the Bible, the Compendium of the Catechism in free time
+A group of ND friends (Kayla, Andrew, Stacey, John, Julianne, Sam[wise] Mary, Molly, and more) and I have eaten dinner together once, seen a movie, and visited Howth fishing village (and cliff walk) and the Wicklow mountains. Both locations were awesome (see pictures). "Sometimes a little bit of immaturity is the only way to the Abbey" (John); "In the mountains, there you feel free" (Eliot), "When the mountains smoke, God has touched them" (Psalms), "That means God has touched us" (Julianne).
+Spent time with Sandra, Francesco (and fam), and Davide of CL at UCD. Sandra came to Wicklow mts; I had dinner and SoC with the others. Sandra of the gaze of Fire and I have had wonderful talks about life.
+Andrew Kidd and I have an apartment with 4 Irish kids. One plays guitar and studies English, one is kind and new, one is an outgoing and party-liking rugby player, and one's name is John. Of course they are all infinite, irreducible people. We are still kind of doing our own thing, not yet all united.
+Visited one pub, did not drink. Had a little wine at a dinner.
+Got lost one time in Dublin. Pedestrians have been friendly.
+Learning about the history of Ireland. Glorious Revolution and protestants, original failed revolution for democracy, etc.
+God is great, yes He is. "There were many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written" (John 21:25)
+I love you all and pray for you often, even if I'm not contacting you directly