Around
this time of year, St. Patrick
seems to get lost in the midst of the shamrocks, Irish beer, and green. And
yet, if a person looks beyond the food and fun of the day and sees the saint
himself, they will be amazed to see a man of very great depth.
Who is Saint Patrick? It is
sometimes difficult to sort through fantasy, legend, and facts about St.
Patrick’s life. The respect of the Irish is clear in some of the old Irish tales
that are told about him. There are, however, some facts that have been
documented about this saint of the Emerald Isle. St. Patrick was born in
Scotland (no, the Irish saint is not Irish!) around the year 387. When he was
still a boy, he was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland. At that time,
Ireland was a place of druids and pagans. Patrick was placed in charge of some
sheep until he was twenty. His time in the hills was a time of great spiritual
experience where he discovered the freedom of being a servant of God. When he
turned twenty, he received a dream instructing him how to escape his captivity.
He was successful and returned to his family. At this time, however, he
received a special call from God to return to Ireland to teach the people about
God. Patrick studied for the priesthood and became a bishop before he returned
to the land of his captivity in 433. Thousands of people were baptized by
Patrick and his followers over the span of 40 years. In a sense, the entire
country was turned from the barbaric lifestyle to a life with Christ because of
Patrick’s courage to return to the country that enslaved him. Before he died he
wrote of his love for God in the Confessions of St. Patrick. He died March 17,
461.
Every
saint proclaims a particular aspect of God through their words and life. St.
Patrick proclaimed his gratitude for God’s mercy. In his confessions, he
frequently spoke of his own unworthiness for God’s protection. Even when he
wrote about his time as a slave in the hills, cold and poor, he felt
undeserving of God’s presence. He wrote: “I was like a stone lying in deep
mire, until He who is powerful came, and in his mercy raised me up, and indeed
again succored and placed me in His part; and therefore I ought to cry out
loudly, and thank the Lord in some degree for all his benefits, here and after,
which the mind of man cannot estimate.” It was this gratitude to God that
caused St. Patrick to forget and forgive those who had enslaved him so that he
could return to spread the Gospel to the country of Ireland.
And
so, in the midst of wearing green and eating corned beef and cabbage, remember
Saint Patrick, a man who was grateful to God for His mercy and who wanted to
tell others about the God who provided for him.
The Gloria is an ancient hymn that praises God.
During Lent we omit the Gloria. We have the habit of speaking to people only
when we want something from them of if they have done something wrong in our
eyes. This mentality has overflowed into our spiritual lives, and as a result the
practice of praising God like St. Patrick has fallen largely in disuse. In your
prayers today, take a moment to “praise God” for something specific. Praise God
for his goodness. Praise God for creation. Praise God for his wisdom. Praise God for pope Francis!
God watches over us as we pray: “ I will sing the
Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” (Psalm 13:6).
Lord, I pray for all my Irish Sonshine Friends and
those who have a drop of irish inside to be mindful of God’s goodness to us
everyday. May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your
back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your
fields, and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
