Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Many people associate it with a day that should be celebrated for and by just Irish people. That is fallacy. For many of us, it is a tribute to our Irish roots, but that is not all it is.
St Patrick’s Day should be a day on which we celebrate the concept of doing people to be better.St. Patrick was entrusted with the mission of gathering the Irish race into the one fold of Christ. He had to enter a world that was filled with Pagans, who reviled God.
It was probably in the summer months of the year 433, that Patrick and his companions landed at the mouth of the Vantry River close by Wicklow Head. The Druids were at once in arms against him. But Patrick was not disheartened. The intrepid missionary resolved to search out a more friendly territory in which to enter on his mission. First of all, however, he would proceed towards Dalriada, where he had been a slave, to pay the price of ransom to his former master, and in exchange for the servitude and cruelty endured at his hands to impart to him the blessings and freedom of God’s children. He rested for some days at the islands off the Skerries coast, one of which still retains the name of Inis-Patrick, and he probably visited the adjoining mainland, which in olden times was known as Holm Patrick.
Tradition fondly points out the impression of St. Patrick’s foot upon the hard rock — off the main shore, at the entrance to Skerries harbour. Continuing his course northwards he halted at the mouth of the River Boyne. A number of the natives there gathered around him and heard with joy in their own sweet tongue the glad tidings of Redemption. There too he performed his first miracle on Irish soil to confirm the honor due to the Blessed Virgin, and the Divine birth of our Saviour. Leaving one of his companions to continue the work of instruction so auspiciously begun, he hastened forward to Strangford Loughand there quitting his boat continued his journey over land towards Slemish. He had not proceeded far when a chieftain, named Dichu, appeared on the scene to prevent his further advance. He drew his sword to smite the saint, but his arm became rigid as a statue and continued so until he declared himself obedient to Patrick. Overcome by the saint’s meekness and miracles, Dichu asked for instruction and made a gift of a large sabhall (barn), in which the sacred mysteries were offered up. This was the first sanctuarydedicated by St. Patrick in Erin.
How does that a affect our lives? What do we take away? We must be persistent and steadfast in our faith and share it with others. We must go to the people who live in darkness and bring light. In your world that can simply mean brings cup of coffee to someone in the office you haven’t spoken to. Bring then the light.