Most people know of St. Patrick through popular culture. He is the patron saint of Ireland and every year there are wild revelries, drunken debaucherous parties, and even the coloring of the Boston River green. But would St. Patrick even recognize or approve of these celebrations? Let’s take a look at this extraordinary saint and find out.

St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain in A.D. 387. He was captured by Irish pirates at the age of sixteen and made a slave for six years in Ireland. During this time he was put in charge of tending sheep, growing closer to God throughout his trials and tribulations. He wrote in his Confessions:

“The love of God, and my fear of him and faith increase, and my spirit was moved so that in a day [I said] from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like number; besides I used to stay out in the forests and on the mountain and I would wake up before daylight to pray in the snow, in icy coldness, in rain, and I used to feel neither ill nor any slothfulness, because, as I now see, the Spirit was burning in me at that time.”

In due course Our Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him that he would be leaving Ireland soon. He escaped by running away to the coast where he was able, after much difficulty, to get a ride on a ship that took him back to Britain. He was eventually reunited with his family, but the story does not end there.  A few years after his return Patrick had another vision:

“I saw a man whose name was Victoricus coming as if from Ireland with innumerable letters, and he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter: The Voice of the Irish’; and as I was reading the beginning of the letter I seemed at that moment to hear the voice of those who were beside the forest of Foclut which is near the western sea, and they were crying as if with one voice: We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and shall walk again among us.’ And I was stung intensely in my heart so that I could read no more, and thus I awoke.”

This impelled him to join the priesthood where he would eventually rise to become a bishop. Patrick arrived back in Ireland in 433 where he converted a chieftain who tried to have him killed, peached to the people converting thousands to the faith, and built churches and a culture that would last for over a thousand years.

One of his famous teaching methods was to use simple examples in nature to explain complicated Church dogma, like the Holy Trinity. Unfortunately, even nowadays there are some people who don’t understand or willfully deny that there are three persons yet only one God. Those who believe in the Holy Trinity are accused of worshipping more than one God. However Patrick was able to explain this reality with the simple example of the shamrock. While the three leaf clover may have three distinct leafs, it is still one clover; just like The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, yet still one God.

Patrick was also credited with the legend of driving all of the snakes out of Ireland. While we do not know for sure if this is a historical event, we do know that there were very real evil practices going on at that time. For example there was human sacrifices and sins of the flesh (to put it mildly), which were prevalent and widespread. Patrick drove these “snakes” out of Ireland which would lead to a flourishing of Christian Irish culture that would last for many generations to come.

The conversion of Ireland was thorough and lasting. For most of her history after Patrick, Ireland had suffered through many trials and tribulations yet she had kept the faith. It is only recently that they have casted off their Catholic heritage and regrettably they have let the snakes back in, as Ireland as a whole has lost the faith. All we can do now is pray for the return of the faith to Ireland and to the whole world.

Our dear saint faced many hardships and persecutions. He was enslaved, beaten, and mocked, yet he went where God wanted him to go. He stood strong in the face of great evil and thus was able to accomplish great things through the grace of God. Let us take St. Patrick as a great model for our lives doing what God calls us to do, no matter what the cost.

As it becomes clear it would seem that St. Patrick would not approve so much of the perversions which are so commonly done in his name. Thus this St. Patrick’s Day, while we can still have our corn beef and cabbage and a beer maybe we can also honor this great saint by going to Mass or at the very least praying and reflecting on his life.

The Breastplate of St. Patrick

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken 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.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me,
Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me, Christ in the hearts of all that love me,
Christ in the 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 Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.

I bind myself to God’s power to guide me, God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to teach me, God’s Eye to watch over me, God’s Ear to hear me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to shelter me, God’s host to secure me…Against the snares of demons, against the seductions of vices, against the lusts of nature, against everyone who meditates injury to me, whether far or near, few or many.

St. Patrick, pray for us!

Viva Cristo Rey!