St. Patrick's Day

Other than an excuse to drink green beer I do not understand the big deal about this day. So I decided to check with google for some info and this is what I found.

For starters, the real St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves. What's more, Patrick professed no interest in Christianity as a young boy. At 16, Patrick's world turned: He was kidnapped and sent overseas to tend sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland for seven years. It's said that got a religious conversion while he was there and became a very deeply believing Christian. According to folklore, a voice came to Patrick in his dreams, telling him to escape. He found passage on a pirate ship back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family. The voice then told him to go back to Ireland. He gets ordained as a priest from a bishop, and goes back and spends the rest of his life trying to convert the Irish to Christianity. Patrick's work in Ireland was tough — he was constantly beaten by thugs, harassed by the Irish royalty, and admonished by his British superiors. After he died on March 17, 461, Patrick was largely forgotten.But slowly, mythology grew around Patrick, and centuries later he was honored as the patron saint of Ireland. According to St. Patrick's Day lore, Patrick used the three leaves of a shamrock to explain the Christian holy trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Today, St. Patrick's Day revelers wear a shamrock out of tradition which dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

Though they may not know it, thousands of people today are celebrating the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. It's the only national holiday that celebrates a missionary.

In honor of St. Patrick, celebrate him today by praying for (and supporting) missions

Blessings