Greet the new barley…

When I was young, my Granda made it his habit to pick me up from school or meet me at the bus every day. The minute he laid eyes on me, he would always say “is í an eorna nua tú a fheiceáil!” Roughly, this means “I’m as happy to see you as I am to see the new barley!” Barley, being an ancient means of sustenance, meant that he was always happy to see my face because he loved me. In my heart, I was always as happy to see him and would repeat it. We’d then go to the shop and buy a Caramilk, or he’d teach me a new song on the walk home. I miss him. In 2011 a bad heart disease took his life, but I hope and pray that he is up singing with the blessed angels and saints before the throne of God.

As yesterday was St Valentine’s, I was provoked to ‘think a few thoughts.’ Ultimate Christianity is laying down our will before that very throne of God, ordering our lives around His command and teaching, and loving each other for the sake of God. As this is a confusing time in the world with dissension amongst clergy and liberality (ahem, heresy) protruding from clerics and bishops and cardinals like a cordyceps, perhaps before all else we have forgotten the sense of true love? We ought to embrace truth like a constant surprise and hope that the barley will spring anew, not look at it and try and twist it to our own whim. The truth is the road we walk upon in safety, though we might face a storm. Why ignore it? Why twist it to please our inferior understanding? Great saints are made for being subjected to God. We are all capable of being saints. That’s why we have the Church. I will not speak critically of any specific cardinal, bishop, priest, or pope right now in this post. Rather, I urge you to pray hard for the good cardinal, priest, layman, knight, politician, etc… and all those who climb the ladder to participate with Christ to redeem the latter.

In hoc signo.