St Patrick was born into a wealthy Romano-British family in the fifth century. Apparently he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland to become a slave. He managed to escape, but, rather than hating or fearing the Irish, God called him to become a priest to convert them instead. He spread the word of God in Ireland for almost thirty years and is held in such high esteem that he is now the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland.
The tradition of wearing green on the day started by wearing a shamrock on clothing, since it was believed that St Patrick used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. And so the celebrations began as a reminder of God’s work, God’s love and God’s grace. And it reminds me that through God’s guidance and God’s power, one person can make a difference to countless lives.
Below is a traditional Irish Blessing; origin unknown, although some attribute it to St. Patrick.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
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5 comments:
In the U.S. St Patrick's Day is not an official day off holiday, but a lot of people celebrate it. Here it really doesn't have much of anything to do with the Saint himself, but it is just primarily a recognition of the Irish. For many it is another excuse to drink beer and party.
Good luck with your new blog. I started mine last September and, like you have been doing so far, I post every day. It is a challenge sometimes, but I been honing my writing skills and hopefully it will pay off in the future.
I will sign up to follow your blog since I like supporting new blogs and I like to support people who post every day. I invite you to visit my blog as well and let me know what you think.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Aloha Lynda..
Thanks for stopping by for a visit, it is always a blessing meeting new friends. This is so funny because I was just asking my husband who is St. Patrick, and why does he have a special day for him??? and I came to your blog and read your post and you had the answers right here lol.
Blessings Lorie
Arlee - thanks so much for popping by and for the good wishes. Yes and yes, posting every day is definitely a challenge. After a day of feeling so sick that I didn't want to face anything at all, I've learned to try to have a couple posts in the works so there isn't as much pressure in case something like that happens again. And yes, I visited your site (as you can see) and it's great!
Lorie, it's definitely a blessing to meet new friends. Thanks so much for coming by as well. I smiled when you said you'd just been asking your husband about St Patrick. That kind of thing always seems to happen to me.
I love in when some sees God in all of creation including a clover. Amen!
That's actually going to be my next post, Rose ;)
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