Sláinte!

Our final day in Ireland was one of our saddest days of the tour because it meant we would soon be gone, but in many ways it was also one of the best because we knew we needed to make the most of the time we had left. The time spent in Dublin (the country's capitol), while different and much more fast-paced than all our other stops, was educational and exciting. Our time there began with a chance to view the Book of Kells, an ancient manuscript of the four Gospels beautifully written and illustrated, and ended for many of us with a jaunt about the city at night enjoying the sights and sounds of Dublin. In between we found time to hear music, shop a bit for our friends and family back home, and perform a lunchtime concert at St. Patricks Cathedral.

This morning we were up bright and early in order to have a smooth transition in the airport through security and customs. We had a small passport scare, but it was resolved, thankfully.

It's never easy to return to "normal" life after experiences like this, but if we are able to take what we have seen and learned from this adventure and use it somehow in our lives back home, our day to day activities can be so much richer. Yesterday in the Cathedral I found this quote by Patrick and I felt it would be apropos to share it here as we end this journey in order to begin another:

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.


Amen and Amen.


PS Sláinte is literally gaelic for "health" and is a kind of toast in Ireland!