St. Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide
ORIGIN
St Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland although he was not a born Irish.The person who was to become St. Patrick, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn and until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. He was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During captivity, he became closer to God. After six years, he escaped and went to Gaul where he studied for twelve years.
It was during this training that Patrick adopted his Christian name. He became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity. His wishes were to return to Ireland but initially Patrick didn't get the job of bishop to Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship. However, after the selected bishop, Palladius, was transferred to Scotland, Patrick was appointed as second bishop to Ireland. He was quite successful at winning converts. This fact upset the Celtic Druids and Patrick was arrested several times, but always escaped. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries, schools, and churches across the country.
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Patrick’s mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years before he retired. He died on March 17 in 461AD. He was greatly revered by the Irish and that day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since. One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock.This stems from an Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. |
| It represented how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day. |
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