March 26 Garbhan, abbot, 7th c.

John and Thommy

good morning
i love you

a few people, some of whomn are not irish, say that the irish saved civilization.
from the western island frontier of europe,
the monasteries of irelad preserved our learning, disseminated our learning
we went from the bards to the scribes
how are you preserving your learning?
better, how are you pursuing your learning? fulfilling your talents?
fully taking advantage of your graces and gifts and resources?
how do you know you're doing good and right and enough to say to yourself,
i am a good young man
and know how you define that, how you demonstrate that?
at your age, yes grades are one criterion - -
and grades less than an A, given your gifts and resources, are a disappointment
and as much a statement about your zeitgeist, your milieu, as about yourself - -
no, you are not alone in this duty
you are responsible to the degree you have not leveraged your graces to overcome the barriers you confront:
know that if you are not getting As then your are not fulfilling your destiny
[well, one yoda-ism along with celtic culture]
and if you are not fulfilling your talents and gifts,
then how do you reach out to the resources that are kept away from you,
or that you are maybe avoiding to assuage the demands of some tempter[s] in your life?

Garbhan, an abbot remebered in Dungarvan, Ireland,
whose monastery helped preserve culture and learning,
didn't do it by himself, of course, none of us can.
he had his benefactors whom he reached out to,
and one thing i've learned in any charitable effort,
it's unlikely to get a contributon if you don't ask,
and if you do ask, you are often surprised by the generosity of the gift.
so
ask.
at a minimum, respond to the offers to help. be open to the graces and resources God's given you.
[no matter what the threats are that make you cower in the presence of grace]

life in 7th c. ireland wasn't peaches and cream, especially for the monks and their communities.
there were powers that would have rather not have this source of light shining in the midst of their darkness.
not unlike the challenge you face.
get to know Garbhan, at least ask him to say a prayer for you
given the fabulousness of miracles for which our irish saints are known,
watch out for the kind of help he'll give you....

i love you
dad