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ST. PATRICK
The person who was to become St. Patrick, the
patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name
was Maewyn, and he almost didn't get the job of Bishop of Ireland
because he lacked the required scholarship.
Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a Pagan.
At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that
raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.
He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he
studied in the monastery under St. Germain, Bishop of Auxerre for a
period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his
calling was to convert the Pagans to Christianity.
His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the native Pagans to
Christianity. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two
years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted
that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second Bishop to
Ireland.
Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset
the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each
time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across
the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in
his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.
His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick
retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been
commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.
Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is
actually substantiated.
Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from
the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that
drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native
to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion
of the Pagans. Though originally a Catholic Holy Day, St. Patrick's Day
has evolved into more of a secular holiday.
The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in
1737. That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated
in this country, in Boston.
SHAMROCK
Legend tells us that the shamrock became associated with Saint Patrick's
Day because of a time when he was trying to explain the concept of the
trinity--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost--to some unbelievers in
one of his congregations. The unbelievers simply could not understand
the concept of there being one God, yet three beings in one too.
It is said that Patrick was preaching outside
in an open-air church service. He then reached down and plucked a
shamrock from the ground. He then showed it to the unbelievers and then
went on to explain how the three leaves of the shamrock are united on
one stalk. Thus, the three parts of the trinity are united in one God.
To this day, the shamrock is the symbol of the trinity of the Christian
church as well as being the national symbol of Ireland. It is also
considered to symbolize the "luck of the Irish" too. |
