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St. Patrick’s Day is another one of our Catholic Feast days that has been secularized and blended with an array of legends, conveyed with caricatures and clip art.  What was once a day to celebrate a Godly man who did much to spread the Gospel, is now a goofy holiday full leprechauns, gold coins and green beer. And though there is nothing inherently wrong with those things, we may have lost the meaning of what the holiday could and should remind us of in our lives as Christians. Like many early saints, there are many details of Patrick’s life that we don’t know or are mixed with legend. However, we do have two short written works from St. Patrick himself, which help us learn about the life of this influential Saint; the “Confessio”, his spiritual autobiography, and his “Letter to Coroticus“, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians.

St. Patrick was born in the 5^th century in Britain of a Romanized family. At age 16, he was captured from his father’s home and taken to Ireland, where he was enslaved as a herdsman. In the face of adversity, his faith strengthened and he eventually fled his captors returned to Britain, where he was reunited with his family. As he felt a call to religious vocation, he went to France where he would become ordained a priest. Years late, when he was ordained a bishop, he was sent back to Ireland, a mission that had remained close to heart during his formation as a priest. Though doubtful of his ability to do his mission well due to his limited education, he returned to Ireland with great faith in God’s provision and set about baptizing and confirming people, converting countless Irish people to Christianity. He lived under a constant threat of martyrdom, yet stayed the course in preaching the Gospel with zeal. His writings show a depth of personal faith that showed a spiritual greatness that bore much fruit throughout his ministry.

There are many legends about St. Patrick; that he drove the snakes out of Ireland and into the sea, that he prayed for provision of food for hungry sailors and a herd of swine appeared, and that he used the shamrock to teach the concept of the Holy Trinity.

There is much to admire about St. Patrick. The perseverance to keep his faith in times of affliction, the tenacity in which he set forth to convert a nation, and the confidence he had in God’s ability to provide for his mission. He understood the grace of the sacraments and set out to increase that grace in his ministry. We should look to St. Patrick’s example in sharing the good news with passion and zeal. For, what we refer to as “Irish luck” may really not be luck at all – but the grace of Jesus in the sacraments which St. Patrick help set in motion all those centuries ago. The grace to choose Jesus regardless of circumstance, to trust Jesus regardless of condition, and to see Jesus in everyone we meet.

So, whether you’re celebrating with traditional corned beef and cabbage or with your green beer and leprechauns, be sure to take a few moments to reflect on who St. Patrick really was and what makes this day worth celebrating.

May the words of St. Patrick’s Breastplate be on our hearts today and throughout the year.

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

 Christ in every ear that hears me.