by Ray Keating
St. Patrick’s Day arrives on Sunday, so I thought it was an ideal time to post a Newsday column of mine that looked at who St. Patrick was, and what he actually accomplished during his life. It turns out St. Patrick was a humble Christian who followed Jesus’ directive: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This column was first published in March 2004 …
Who was this guy St. Patrick, and why does he have his own day? I admit to never really thinking much about the person behind St. Patrick’s Day.
I discovered through a limited, highly unscientific survey at a St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday that I was not alone. With a wee nip in the air, ‘twas a grand day for a parade, and everyone lining Main Street in Center Moriches seemed to be wearing the green. This scene has been replayed year after year in towns from one end of Long Island to the other.
I asked dozens of revelers: What do you think of when St. Patrick’s Day is mentioned? The most prevalent answers were parades, beer, corned beef and cabbage, shamrocks, green, and Ireland or their ancestry. Two women amusingly said they felt like St. Patrick’s Day widows because their husbands played in bands during a variety of parades throughout the month of March.
A couple of people mentioned snakes in Ireland, and just one said she thought of the church. Only one individual actually mentioned St. Patrick specifically.
The two things that St. Patrick is best known for – driving the snakes out of Ireland and explaining the Holy Trinity using a shamrock – are legend. But what little we know of the real Patrick is no less dramatic or inspiring. Most of the information comes from two surviving letters Patrick wrote. One is the “Letter to the Soldiers of Corocticus” and the other is called the “Confession of St. Patrick.” Both are included in a new biography St. Patrick of Ireland by Philip Freeman, who does an excellent job in bringing alive the world and times in which Patrick lived.
Patrick was born sometime in the late fourth or early fifth century, and at the age of 16, was kidnapped from Britain by Irish raiders and forced into slavery. During six years as a slave in Ireland, his Christian faith took root and grew through extensive prayer. After escaping and returning to Britain, he received a vision in a dream calling him back to Ireland to spread the good news about Jesus Christ.
Patrick became a priest, later a bishop, and did return to Ireland, where he had been enslaved, to spread Christianity in that predominantly pagan land. At considerable peril, he followed Jesus’ directive: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) In his “Confession,” Patrick wrote: “I even went to the most remote parts of the island – places at the very edge of the world, places no one had ever seen before – to baptize and ordain clergy and confirm people in the faith.”
This also was no holier-than-thou, self-important churchman. He recognized his own sinfulness. The “Confession” opens: “I am Patrick – a sinner – the most unsophisticated and unworthy among all the faithful of God.” His message emphasized God’s grace and forgiveness, and the importance of prayer and faith. He concluded about his life’s work: “You must understand – because it is the truth – that it was all the gift of God.”
For good measure, Patrick, according to scholars, was one of the first Christians to speak out strongly against slavery, and played a role in putting an end to human sacrifice in Ireland.
I’ve heard it said that you don’t have be Irish to wear the green on St. Patrick’s Day. You also don’t necessarily have to be a Roman Catholic to embrace St. Patrick. Heck, a sign outside the United Methodist Church in Center Moriches highlighted a St. Patrick’s Day dinner this past Saturday night. All Christians certainly should be able to appreciate Patrick’s commitment to spreading the faith. Most people should be able to see the merits of his humility, courage and conviction.
So, before taking a bite of corned beef, or a gulp of beer on St. Patrick’s Day, at least a pause is warranted to think of the important lessons offered by a very real man named Patrick.
Ray Keating is the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels, with three books - Reagan Country: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, Heroes and Villains: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Storyand Shifting Sands: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story– published in 2018. In addition, the second edition of Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novelwas published in January 2019. He can be contacted at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
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