All Things Through Christ

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4: 13

Sometimes, perhaps especially during holiday periods when familiar helps are not to hand, we slide into the ‘any thing goes’ mentality when faced with a catalogue of difficulties. Learn from a convert of Patrick’s named Attracta how to overcome a catalogue of woes. She wanted to establish a Christian community in one place, but Patrick insisted she establish it somewhere else. This proved to be a place where one disaster after another faced her. She could easily have left in a sulk, telling him ‘I told you so’, but Attracta was made of sterner stuff than to do that.

Every one in the area was terrified of a wild animal which attacked people at whim; eventually Attracta killed it herself, using her metal cross to do so. Then a local bard drowned in the nearby lake; Attracta nursed and prayed over him and brought him back to life. They needed to cut and transport trees with which to build the monastery, but there were no horses to pull the timber; Attracta used deer instead. Then they realised that they had no ropes with which to tie the timber to the wagons; so she used everything that was to hand, including strands of her own hair, to create strong cords.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Traditional British Saying

May the cross of Christ be over this face and this ear
May the cross of Christ be over this mouth and this throat
May the cross of Christ be over my arms
From my shoulders to my hands.

May the cross of Christ be with me, before me
May the cross of Christ be above me, behind me.

With the cross of Christ may I meet every
difficulty in the heights and in the depths.
From the top of my head to the nail of my foot
I trust in the protection of your cross, O Christ.
Attributed to Mugron, Abbot of Iona from 965