Happy Green Day

Ahh, tis that time O year that brings fear to me wee bones. She who looves me will be talkin in some Irish tongue today, and cookin me food till she's green as the face of a prairie boy, ridin the waves of a prairie ferry...

Sorry. But tis the day, so let me remind you of this Man of God.

I quote Reg Block:

St. Patrick was not Irish, but he was born somewhere in Britain. His parents, Calphurnius and Conchessa were high ranking Romans from either Gaul or Britain.

At the age of 16, Patrick was captured in an Irish raid and sold into slavery. For six years he tended his master´s livestock near what is now the town of Balleymena. At 22, Patrick had a dream in which an angel told him to flee captivity. Escaping from his cruel master, he made his way to the coast some 200 miles away and boarded a ship headed for Britain.

Once there, Patrick became a monk, dedicating his life to God and the ministry. As the story goes, 20 years later he had another vision instructing him to return to Ireland and preach the gospel. Which is exactly what he did.

In the winter of 432, Patrick and 24 of his followers arrived in Ireland to share the good news with the druids. Although Patrick´s formal Latin education was somewhat lacking, his ability to speak Celtic served him well.

It is known that Ireland at the time was a land of paganism and for the past 400 years few if any had been there to share the gospel. The inhabitants constantly warred with each other, practised human sacrifice and engaged in the slave trade.

Patrick condemned slavery and empathized with the suffering of others, having himself been a slave. He is counted among the few Christian leaders, who at the time, spoke up for the rights of women. As Ireland at that time was essentially free from Greco-Roman influences, the Christianity that developed was more primitive and less political, adopting a more joyful and celebratory attitude. Patrick was a man well ahead of his time.

While the papacy had not yet determined that slavery and subjugation of women were immoral, Patrick was busily converting a nation to the Christian model Jesus had taught.

Today St. Patrick´s example is no less relevant than it was 1,500 years ago. He is regarded by many as a champion of the downtrodden, a man who understood and felt other people´s suffering and someone with the courage to speak up against injustice. Also, it is probable that St. Patrick´s conversion of Ireland and subsequently the monasteries that sprang up helped to preserve literacy during Europe´s Dark Ages.

May God raise up more Patricks for these days.