Celebrating St Patrick's Day!

St Patrick's Day is a Holy Day and a Bank Holiday celebrating the gift of knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ brought to Ireland by St Patrick and other missionaries who arrived around the same time in the early centuries.

The knowledge that we have of St Patrick is great on account of having access to his annals: The Confessions of St Patrick. The Confessions are an autobiographical account of St Patrick's life-giving account of his early life, his captivity as a slave and his mission on escape from captivity.

But after I came to Ireland, I tended flocks (of sheep) daily and I prayed frequently every day. More and more, the love of God, and the fear of him (respect & awe) grew in me, so too did my faith increase, and my spirit was stirred so that in a day I would pray up to a hundred times, and the night time was similar; even when I used to stay out in the woods and on the mountain, I would rise up before daybreak to pray in snow, frost and rain, but I used to feel no ill-effect nor any sluggishness, because, as I now realise, the Spirit was burning in me at that time.
(Confessions, Part 2, section 16)

St Patrick turned to God during his captivity and grew deeply in relationship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Patrick accepted his time of captivity as time apart to review and change his life as a young man. He cast no blame on his captors nor anger with Irish people who were his captors.

In The Confessions, St Patrick wrote in praise of God and about his desired mission to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with many nations - in reflection of the prayer in the psalms. Patrick was humble before God and full of gratitude for what he had been given in life, even his time in captivity.

When Patrick returned to Britain, became a priest and was appointed as a Bishop, he chose to return to Ireland to do as he had earlier desired - to share the knowledge of Jesus Christ with those on our island! As we know, there are many places in Ireland where St Patrick is believed to have preached and engaged people in faith: Downpatrick, Tara and Croagh Patrick. He engaged with the people in their own beliefs and brought the Christian dimension into discussion. The life of Jesus Christ and the call of Jesus to live faith actively was compelling for many who then chose to be baptised.

At this time of celebrating St Patrick, it is a time of celebrating the gift of faith and what is most valuable to us in our country right now. What is it that holds us firm when the winds of challenge pull on us? What is at the root purpose of our lives? If everything was taken from us, what carries us forward? To quote psychiatrist Victor Frankl and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: if we have a good enough why we can do any how! Faith in Jesus Christ is my why! What is yours!

Cathy Burke
Catechist in the Lucan Partnership of Parishes