SAINT PATRICK’S DAY EDUCATION

We’re offered weird images of leprechauns while people are drowning their guts in green poison from a local pub.

Please remember, the Saints we recognize on the calendar are memorialized on that day because it was the day they died. These are men and women who are called Saints because of their service and suffering for Christ’s sake. Saint Patrick died on March 17, (about) 461 AD.

Did you know?

Patrick was British at birth and his name was Sucat, but his Latin name was “Patricius,” meaning “Nobleman.”

Around 405 A.D., at the age of 16 years old, while working on his father’s farm near the sea, he was captured and enslaved, taken to Ireland. He escaped, returned to Britain, but heard The Lord’s Voice calling him back to Ireland.

So he returned to war/conflict and went about God’s business of converting even the ones who tried to kill him dozens of times.

In his thirty years of ministry, Saint Patrick is credited with baptizing 120,000 people and founding 300 churches.

He used the three-leaf clover to teach the Trinity and The World Book Encyclopedia says, “He found Ireland all heathen and left it all Christian.”

And here we are, almost 1600 years later …

so as Christians, let’s do this better.

Let’s read and reflect on his prayer below, instead of what the culture is offering: The Breastplate of Saint Patrick:

“I bind unto myself today

The strong name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same,

The Three in One, the One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever

By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;

His baptism in the Jordan river;

His death on the cross for my salvation.

His bursting from the spiced tomb;

His riding up the heavenly way;

His coming at the day of doom;

I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today

The power of God to hold and lead,

His eye to watch, his might to stay,

His ear to harken to my need;

The wisdom of my God to teach,

His hand to guide, his shield to ward,

The Word of God to give me speech,

His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against all Satan's spells and wiles,

Against false words of heresy,

Against the knowledge that defiles,

Against the heart's idolatry,

Against the wizard's evil craft,

Against the death-wound and the burning,

The choking wave, the poison'd shaft,

Protect me, Christ, till thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me;

Christ to comfort and restore me;

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the name,

The strong name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same,

The Three in One, and One in Three,

Of whom all nature hath creation,

Eternal Father, Spirit, Word;

Praise to the God of my salvation;

Salvation is of Christ the Lord!"

May we be this devoted every single day of our lives and NOT conform to the culture around us. "Happy" Saint Patrick's Day, my friends.