Why do I celebrate Saint Patrick's Day? It's not because of wearing green to avoid being pinched or drinking green beer (I don't drink alcohol). It's because of the person, Saint Patrick.
Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents. He was trafficked at the age of sixteen to Ireland. He spent six years outdoors as a shepherd, mostly alone. He turned to the Lord during this time and God gave him the strength to survive. God sent him a vision and he walked 200 miles by himself to the Irish coast to escape and return to Britain.
An angel appeared to him in a dream telling him that he was to return to Ireland as a missionary. He spent 15 years in religious training and returned to Ireland after his ordination. Since he was familiar with the culture, he incorporated familiar symbols from the culture into Christianity to help communicate the gospel.
One example of this is his use of the sun, a symbol of life to the Irish, that he incorporated into the crucifix, creating what is now known as the Celtic Cross.
He also used the shamrock, a familiar and symbolic plant for the Irish, to explain the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It is believed that Saint Patrick died on March 17, the reason this date was chosen on the calendar. It is a day meant for spiritual renewal and praying for missionaries around the world.
Join me in celebrating the real reason for Saint Patrick's Day - celebrating a person who was trafficked and God called him to return as a missionary to minister to the very people who enslaved him.
