Soda bread. Potatoes. Catholicism. St. Patrick’s Day. Ireland is known for many things. For such a small island, their cultural presence is known and felt the world over, especially in March.
It got me thinking… Ireland is also known for Irish blessings. Some of them are very well-known, while others are not. Some are funny, while others are serious. And many of them fit so well with military life.
After all, who in the military community couldn’t use a little extra peace, serenity, and happiness? And a few Irish blessings too?
Whether you need a toast, a saying for the inside of a card, or just a mantra for yourself, these blessings might just do the trick.
1. An Irish blessing for when you’re worried about what comes next…
“May the blessings of each day be the blessings you need the most.”
2. An Irish blessing for when you’ve PCSed to a new home…
“May peace and plenty be the first to lift the latch to your door, and happiness be your guest today and evermore.”
3. An Irish blessing for when you’re looking for new friends in a new place…
“May you always find three welcomes in life: in a garden during summer; at a hearth during winter; and in the hearts of friends throughout all your years.”
4. An Irish blessing for when you need some good news…
“May the most you wish for be the least you get.”
5. An Irish blessing for when deployment feels overwhelming…
“May love and laughter light your days and warm your hearth and home.”
6. An Irish blessing for when you’re feeling far away from your loved ones…
“May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam.”
7. An Irish blessing for when your military journey is changing…
“May peace and plenty bless your world with a joy that long endures and may all life’s passing seasons bring the best to you and yours.”
8. An Irish blessing for when you’re on the job hunt…
“May there always be work for your hands to do. May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane. May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, and may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.”
9. An Irish blessing for when you’re in the middle of a difficult deployment…
“Always remember to forget the troubles that passed away. But never forget to remember the blessings that come each day.”
10. An Irish blessing for when you’re waiting for orders…
“May the joys of today be those of tomorrow. The goblets of life hold no dregs of sorrow.”
11. An Irish blessing for when you’re feeling the squeeze of military life…
“May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight.”
12. An Irish blessing for when you just can’t make up the crazy things that happen…
“Grant me a sense of humor, Lord, the saving grace to see a joke, to win some happiness from life, and pass it onto other folk.”
13. An Irish blessing for when you’re doing a lot of traveling…
“May the blessings of light be upon you, light without and light within. And in all your comings and goings, may you ever have a kindly greeting from them you meet along the road.”
14. An Irish blessing for when you’re waiting for a big decision…
“May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies, and quick to make friends. But rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.”
15. An Irish blessing for when you’re making your home in a new place (again)…
“May brooks and trees and singing hills join the chorus, too. And every gentle wind that blows send happiness to you.”
16. An Irish blessing for when you’re making friends in a new place…
“May your right hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want.”
17. An Irish blessing for when you need a good Irish blessing at any time at all…
“May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you.”
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