St. Patrick's Day

"Oh my name is Bishop Patrick. I sailed across the sea to teach the Irish folk about the Blessed Trinity."

This is a song that I taught to the kids at vacation bible school a few years ago. That year, the theme was the story of Saint Patrick of Ireland. For me, St. Patrick's Day is not about luck, leprechauns, or pinching people. Instead, I look at St. Patrick's Day as a day to honor the Catholic saint the day is named for.

Time for a little history lesson:
St. Patrick was born in 385 in Scotland. When he was about fourteen, he was captured in a raid and taken to Ireland as a slave. He remained a slave until he was about twenty when he escaped. After that, legend says that St. Patrick had a dream in which the Irish people were calling out to him for help. Because of this, he returned to Ireland, studied to be a priest, and eventually became the Bishop of Ireland. He went all around Ireland teaching the people about Christianity. His main teaching was that of the Holy Trinity. (I am not going to even attempt to explain that here. You can ask me later if you are really that interested.) He used the three leaves of the shamrock to help explain this abstract idea. One legend says that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. Personally, I have no idea if there are snakes in Ireland today, so I just believe the stories.

I chuckle a little when I see people getting all geared up for St. Patrick's Day. I feel that way about St. Valentine's Day, too. Most people have no idea what this day is about. Good thing you all have me to tell you, right?