Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
“May your troubles be less. And your blessing be more. And nothing but happiness, come through your door.” – Irish blessing
No matter their heritage, most people claim to be slightly Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Many associate this day with the color green, shamrocks, green beer, corned beef and cabbage, leprechauns, the saying “Kiss me I’m Irish,” etc.
Whether you are Irish or not, March 17th celebrates St. Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland. He was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. He is known for writing the prayer “The Breastplate of St. Patrick.”
St. Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to parts of Ireland and was likely somewhat responsible for the Christianization of the Picts and Anglo-Saxons. St. Patrick often used shamrocks to describe the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Entire kingdoms converted to Christianity after hearing his message.
St. Patrick’s Day was originally celebrated in Ireland with religious services and feasts in honor of St. Patrick. When Irish immigrants brought the traditions to the United States, the day eventually became a secular celebration of Irish culture.
Like all saints, St. Patrick centered his life in Christ. Everything he did was done out of a belief in the message of Jesus Christ. St. Patrick’s life became a living gospel.
How to live like St. Patrick?
Living like a saint may be easier said than done, but trying to embody several characteristics of the saints is a great way to start. Saints lead by example in how they love and believe in God. We should follow their lead and start to become the example we see in them.
According to Pope Francis, being a saint doesn’t necessarily require spending long hours in prayer, but rather living “a life open to God in good times and bad.”
We are all called to live like Christ did with a life centered in love. To focus on being the best, most compassionate Christian we can be. We can be humble and work to serve God to the best of our ability. We can make a positive difference in others’ lives.
Each of us has a unique calling from God to live with purpose and love. When we look to the lives of the saints we realize that despite their flaws they, too, were able to continue to serve Him. We can and should do the same. We encourage you to study the lives of the saints to see which traits you would like to embody to live a more purpose-filled, fulfilling life.
No comment yet, add your voice below!