Wednesday, March 17, 2010

St Paddy's Day


St. Patricks' Day, March 17th, signals the end of winter. The day we celebrate, March 17th, is the day of his passing. (387-461) Lore has it that after this day you can plant your garden without fear of frost. St Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, was not originally from there. Patrick was born in Britain and was the son of a wealthy deacon. He was captured by Irish raiders at sixteen and taken to Ireland where he worked as a slave for six years. Patrick's spiritual life began during the time he was captured. He worked alone as a shepherd on a mountainside and began a life of prayer. Patrick escaped to France, possibly with the help of some people he had befriended. He studied there and became a Priest.

Once Patrick became a Bishop, he was sent to Ireland to convert the Irish people to Christianity. Many were Druids and considered pagans. He knew the language and taught the Irish using some of the mysticism he learned while he lived in Ireland as a slave. He explained the Holy Trinity, using a shamrock to symbolize The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the 3 parts of the one. Patrick is known to have held up a Shamrock to save himself from the King. His was the only bloodless spiritual conversion in history. The Lucky Shamrock was a symbol that worked for him. Wear your green today in honor of St Patrick.

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