The Legacy of Saint Patrick
Each year, right in the middle of the grief and solemnity of the Lenten season, St. Patrick’s Day serves as a disruption. A day about all things green, Irish, festive, and fun. Being American Irish (probably less than a fourth, but very proud of that fourth!), St. Patrick’s Day has always been an important holiday in my family. Some years, my mom would let my sisters and me skip school so we could all watch the shopping channel QVC together to see what Belleek pottery or large wool sweaters were being sold. Then we’d cozy up, wearing green from head to toe, and watch something distinctly Irish while we ate homemade scones and drank cups of tea.
So who was St. Patrick? And why do we celebrate him on March 17?
Patrick was only sixteen when he was kidnapped from his British homeland (that’s right… St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish!) by Irish pirates. Once in Ireland, he was forced into slavery where he labored as a shepherd. During this time, while he was alone with the sheep on the fields, Patrick began to pray and eventually converted to Christianity. In fact, during a prayer he heard God tell him to flee from slavery and that a safe passage had been prepared for him. So, after six years in captivity, Patrick ran to the coast of Ireland and joined a boat headed to Britain. After six long years of slavery, tending lots of sheep, and finding salvation, Patrick had made his way home.
“The Saint offers an example of radical forgiveness. Even after being kidnapped and held in slavery, he was willing to return to Ireland and witness to the people. ”
But that’s only the beginning of Patrick’s story. Once back in Britain he saw a vision of a man coming from Ireland and delivering a message saying “The Voice of the Irish. We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.” Upon receiving his call, Patrick finished his theological training, then went straight back to the land that had once held him in captivity. He used things he already knew about the people to teach them about Christ, such as incorporating pagan fire rituals into Easter celebrations.
Patrick wasn’t only a missionary, though. He also became a legend. Each St. Patrick’s Day my mom, who had once been a missionary in the Emerald Isle herself, would tell us folk tales about the saint. One of the legends about Patrick describes how he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to the Irish people and since that time the three leaf clover has been synonymous with Ireland. My favorite legend, however, credits Patrick with banishing all the snakes from Ireland.
There’s a lot of lessons we can learn from St. Patrick as we look towards March 17 next year. First, the Saint offers an example of radical forgiveness. Even after being kidnapped and held in slavery, he was willing to return to Ireland and witness to the people. Second, his life reveals what it means to follow God’s calling faithfully. Finally, Patrick displays that one person can change the world. In fact, almost two thousand years later we’re still remembering his actions! So, while he may have not driven the snakes out of the country, I hope you took a moment this past Thursday to wear some green, enjoy a rest from the seriousness of Lent, and celebrate the Irish missionary St. Patrick.