More than Leprechauns and Green Beer

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe   

St. Patrick’s Day, like many Christian Holy Days, is celebrated more with the pagan customs the Church has hoped to overcome than with Christianity.  The Easter bunny often overshadows the Resurrection; Santa Claus and reindeer are more politically correct than the Advent.  In the same way, on St. Patrick’s Day, many eat corned beef and cabbage, wear green, drink beer and give no thought to the sacrifices and sufferings of the one who brought Christianity to Ireland.

St. Patrick was a missionary to Ireland during the latter part of the fifth century.  According to his Confessio, when he was in his teens, Irish pirates kidnapped him from his home in Britain and took him to Ireland.  After six years of enforced servitude among the pagans and druids, he escaped and returned to his family home.  After becoming a priest, he returned to Ireland to bring the gospel to the land of his captors. He was later ordained as bishop.  March 17 is thought to be the day of his death. 

What do we learn from St. Patrick?  First of all, we learn forgiveness.  In a prophetic dream, he received a call to return to Ireland.  In the dream, the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more." In forgiveness, he returned to Ireland to bring the light of Christ to those who were living in the darkness of paganism.  He preached in Ireland for 40 years. 

We also learn the truth of Romans 1:19-20, “because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (NKJV)."   St. Patrick used the simple 3-leaf clover, the shamrock, to illustrate the Trinity, the God-head, Three-in-One.  

The sad truth, a truth that would break the heart of St. Patrick as it breaks the heart of Jesus, is that Ireland, for centuries, has been embroiled in a political war that has become identified as a religious war.  May, not only the Church in Ireland, but the Church universal, lay down our political and religious animosities toward one another.   May we walk in the reality of Psalm 133:1-3 (NKJV): ^“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore. “

In this world today, we need to pray the following taken from the Lorica of St. Patrick.  (A lorica is a prayer for protection.)

“Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.”

It is all about Jesus.