St. Patrick’s Day is a rather curious holiday. People are decked out in green or dressing up like leprechauns, sparkly clovers are in every CVS, cops are tearing their hair out (what little the male ones are allowed to keep) performing DUI stops, and the bars are brimming to their fullest capacity. I know St. Patrick’s Day passed already while we were all on Spring break, but it still deserves some sort of recognition. My favorite tradition for this holiday is to grab a Shamrock Shake at McDonald’s (basically diabetes in a cup, but it’s only like once a year so meh). My mom will also make homemade green spaghetti, which is basically just pasta with creamy spinach sauce. It might sound like a terrifying concept to you chicken nuggets and pizza idolizers, but it’s most excellent if you give it a chance. Much like Christmas, it’s easy to get lost in the excitement and commercialism of the holiday without truly taking the time to understand it.  

At its heart, what is St. Patrick’s day all about and why does it matter? St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, even though he was born in Britain. If you don’t know what a patron saint is, it’s a Catholic idea that basically sees a specific person as a heavenly advocate of a place, nation, or craft. He wasn’t even canonized during his era because he lived before the Catholic Church even made that a thing! Nevertheless, he has a great story to tell for both Christians and Catholics alike.

First off, Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat but was given the name Patrick upon his ordination. It comes from the Latin word Patricius which means “Father”. Patrick was ripped from his home in Britain at the age of sixteen when a group of Irish raiders kidnapped him and took him to Ireland to be a slave. He stayed there for six years as a lowly shepherd, and it’s believed that he began having dreams about converting the Irish people to Christianity during this time. Patrick’s faith grew strong in his solace and despair, and he clung to God for spiritual sustenance during this time of trial. In his writings, Patrick stated that he heard a voice that he believed to be God telling him to return home. He ended up successfully escaping and returning home again. But his work was far from finished.

Once back in Britain, Patrick said he received another dream in which an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. After training for fifteen years to be a priest, he was finally ordained and returned to Ireland to minister to the Christians

there while also converting new ones. Patrick knew how to connect with people. Since he’d been a captive in the country for an extended period of time, he was familiar with the language, culture, customs, and symbols of the Irish people. Instead of damning certain traditional practices and being insensitive to cultural nuances, Patrick used them in his teachings of Christianity. For example, he used the famous three-leaf clover as a learning metaphor to describe the Trinity. He also used the Irish pagan tradition of honoring their gods with bonfires in the celebration of Easter. Instead of crediting the bonfires for the pleasure of the Irish gods, Patrick utilized the practice to help the Irish people rejoice over the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Finally, Patrick is responsible for the creation of the Celtic Cross. He took the powerful symbol of the sun from Irish tradition and placed it in the center of the Christian cross. All in all, Patrick really came down to the people’s level and “became one of them” as Paul would say in 1 Corinthians 9:20. I think that’s something we can try to emulate.

So, the next time St. Patrick’s Day rolls around, take some time to think about the man it’s supposed to be celebrating. Behind all the green-colored food items and pharmacy decorations, there’s a deeper lesson to be found. Patrick selflessly reached out to a people group that was so different from his own; he loved the people who persecuted him and made their land his mission’s grounds. He worked hard to relate to them through their traditions and utilize things that were important to them to preach the gospel. Is there anyone in your life that you can reach out to, even if they may be vastly different from you to bless with the love of Christ? Jesus himself always reached out to the outcasts and those that society cursed and hated. We can continue that legacy in our own daily lives, whether it be sitting with someone new at lunch or sharing the good news with an unbelieving friend. Every day is a new opportunity to love someone! Reach out today and don’t wait!