Fortunate - a Limerick Display for St. Patrick's Day

"I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper,
so many favours and graces
has the Lord deigned to bestow on me
in the land of my captivity.
For after chastisement from God,
and recognizing him,
our way to repay him is to exalt him
and confess his wonders
before every nation under heaven:

"For there is no other God,
nor ever was before,
nor shall be hereafter."

St. Patrick
(285 - 361 AD)

The Irish are lifting a glass,
To cheer every lad and each lass,
As the leprechaun jigs,
In-between wishful swigs,
May your joy be beyond all trespass.

But a pot of gold is just a start;
Lucky clovers may soon fall apart.
When God welcomes us in,
As His own special kin,
Our security comes from His heart.

As a shamrock contains leaves of three,
May we remind ourselves constantly,
Of the three-in-one God,
In whose Presence we're awed,
Who created and then set us free.

All His saints are beloved, 'tis sure,
Every one knows God's grace will endure.
On this day of the green,
May His love intervene,
And protect you from evil's detour.

Whether Irish or not, never mind.
Any grouping or sect, intertwined.
If you stand on His Word,
Then your sainthood's conferred;
And your citizenship's reassigned.

If you know you are held in His hand,
You're a member of His sainted band.
And forever as one,
We will worship the Son
With a music not known beforehand.

So raise up your glass with a prayer
To thank Him for His divine care.
As we drink of the vine,
We remember the time,
When the Lord bought us back from despair.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going" (John 14:1-4).