Church in a Kilt tonight

[mbhandy]

One of my readers, and a catechumen, said to their wives that they, also, would be getting a kilt soon!

John you are setting a Trend.

MrBill

[Riverkilt]

Just curious (I'm Pagan, don't follow the Christian stuff) if all our kilted saints in Celtic lands knew each other? Did St. George, St. Andrew, St. Patrick and St. David hang around and support each other, debate each other, work together, or were they from seperate eras.

Maybe this is more off topic...but we do celebrate the birthdays(?) of all but St. George by kilting up....there was a St. George...right...?

Serious.

Thanks,

Ron

[longshadows]

Fr. John,

Good for you! You may already know this, but there are authorized "clergy tartans"

Clergy Tartans

They look quite smart. Not even the bishop could find fault about that!

[starbkjrus]

Just curious (I'm Pagan, don't follow the Christian stuff) if all our kilted saints in Celtic lands knew each other? Did St. George, St. Andrew, St. Patrick and St. David hang around and support each other, debate each other, work together, or were they from seperate eras.

Maybe this is more off topic...but we do celebrate the birthdays(?) of all but St. George by kilting up....there was a St. George...right...?

Serious.

Thanks,

Ron

The only one of these questions I can answer is that yes, St. George is the Patron Saint of England. Would like to hear the other answers though.

[GMan]

I applaud you, for a fantastic flare of Kilt wearing, well done!

[Paul Henry]

It's very unlikely that the Saints knew each other!, if they did I dare sare that they wouldn't all have agreed with each anyway...!!

St George might the the patron saint of England, but he wasn't english
St Patrick might be the patron saint of Ireland , but he wasn't Irish
St David does appear to be Welsh!
and St Andrew appears to come from Galilee!!

but as an Ovate, the Christian saints are of interest to me only periphally!!

[Frank McGrath]

I have worn my Kilt to church on several occasions with many positive comments. But last Sunday, My pastor leaned oover the pew to tell me not to bend over when taking communion. I almost told him where to go. He is leaving anyway, but for that comment, he can leave sooner.

Frank Mcgrath

[GlassMan]

I wear my kilt to church every Sunday just like I wear a kilt every single day. Why change for Sunday? And no one has a problem with it at all.

[Prester John]

The memory of the holy ones of God remain are alive in the Church, contemporary proof notwithstanding. It's pretty easy to see where medieval "expositors" added legendary material to the life of even a wonderworking saint.

For more information on individual saints, there are a variety of sources, not all are very good (as with most things!). http://oca.org has a "Feasts and Saints" section, but it is still being built. Nice icons, though. I especially like the one of St. Patrick from yesterday.

St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Patrick, St. David of Wales, St. Ninian, St. Neot of Cornwall (one of my favorites), the Venerable St. Bede of Jarrow, etc. all comprise the "Hall of Fame" as it were, of the Christian life.

For those who don't know the language of iconography, even though St. George is often depicted "slaying the dragon", in Orthodox icons he is actually subduing it, with his spear on the dragon's tongue, to indicate that by his "witness" (in greek martyria), he stops the Godless' slander of Christ, and the spreading of false teaching.

No Orthodox Christian ever thought he slew a dragon, and most hagiographies begin with the words by the scribe "May I tell no lie about a saint."

I know of no icon with a kilted saint, in a traditional Great plaid, philabeg, or Lowland trews with or without sporran. Probably because icons depict saints as they now exist in the Kingdom of heaven. That is, illumined. Even modern saints are never shown wearing glasses (they don't need them in heaven!) or with the implements of their martyrdom, unless the icon specifically depicts the act of martyrdom. They have passed from suffering to blessedness.

My "Kirkin' O' The Tartans" program had a listing of Scottish saints, with their icons, as I could find them. There are actually alot more, but I could not list them in the space provided.

Whew. Blahblahblah. I'd say I've beaten this horse to death.
Glory to Jesus Christ!

[Prester John]

As a side post, I should note that it would be great to have an icon of a kilted saint.

After all, tartan kilts are clothing with crosses woven into them (very Christian), and heaven is a place of freedom!