Today is Saint Patrick's Day…are you be wearing your green? Saint Patrick is known as the Patron Saint of Ireland, and his feast day has become a popular secular celebration, much like Valentine's Day. It is a day when we wear green, add green food coloring to our favorite foods and beverages, and have fun with silly things like pots of gold at the end of a rainbow.
Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in the 4th century into a wealthy family and his father and grandfather were deacons in the Church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by GOD in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church and studied to be a priest.
In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The idea behind this is the shamrock is one plant with three connected leaves. Looking at this from a Trinitarian point of view, you have one GOD with three manifestations - Father, Son, and Spirit.
After nearly thirty years of evangelism, Saint Patrick died on March 17th 461. Although there were other more successful missionaries to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endures as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish Church.
Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue, but over the years, the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of Saint Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century and are still prominent today.
So now you see that Saint Patrick's Day, with all of its fun and silly customs, actually originated as a religious holiday! Like Saint Patrick, May you use this time - wearing green and shamrocks if you so care - to think about the love and presence of GOD in your life. And also like Saint Patrick used the green shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, find a way to use today to share your relationship with GOD with someone else. If you have any questions, or would like some ideas, feel free to contact Pastor Mark.
Have a Blessed St. Patty's Day!
Pastor Mark
Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in the 4th century into a wealthy family and his father and grandfather were deacons in the Church. At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown. According to his Confession, he was told by GOD in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church and studied to be a priest.
In 432, he again said that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The idea behind this is the shamrock is one plant with three connected leaves. Looking at this from a Trinitarian point of view, you have one GOD with three manifestations - Father, Son, and Spirit.
After nearly thirty years of evangelism, Saint Patrick died on March 17th 461. Although there were other more successful missionaries to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endures as the principal champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish Church.
Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue, but over the years, the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's Day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of Saint Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century and are still prominent today.
So now you see that Saint Patrick's Day, with all of its fun and silly customs, actually originated as a religious holiday! Like Saint Patrick, May you use this time - wearing green and shamrocks if you so care - to think about the love and presence of GOD in your life. And also like Saint Patrick used the green shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, find a way to use today to share your relationship with GOD with someone else. If you have any questions, or would like some ideas, feel free to contact Pastor Mark.
Have a Blessed St. Patty's Day!
Pastor Mark
(This blog post comes from this week's church e-newsletter)
