For those who have Irish roots, “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.” For those who like drinking “green” beer, please don’t. In fact, this day has nothing to do with drinking alcohol. I did not realize that I had strong Irish roots until just a few years ago. My paternal grandparents were from Scotland and Wales. My maternal grandmother was from England and my maternal grandfather was born in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada. He was born there as his parents, my great-grandparents, were immigrating to Canada from Ireland. I did not actually know that until recently. Thus, my DNA is full of genes from all 4 nations of Great Britain.
I discovered the following from a site online that I felt gave the simplist explanation to the St Patty’s day.
“Over the years, there has been a great deal of mythologizing of St. Patrick in history. One of the more popular myths about St. Patrick’s Day is that he drove all the snakes from Ireland after they attacked him during a 40 day fast. Legend said he drove all the snakes into the sea and that is why there are no slithering serpents there today.We now know that there were never any snakes in Ireland. One writer hypothesized that the legends about the snakes actually served as a metaphor for Druidic symbols in Ireland, and of St. Patrick’s eradication of the traditions that preceded Catholicism in Ireland.
In truth, St. Patrick was taken from his home, either in Britain, Wales or elsewhere, and became a slave to pirates for 6 years. When he was freed, he entered the clergy and later returned to Ireland as a missionary to begin his work. While he was not in fact Irish by birth, he embodied the spirit of Ireland and a love for the country. Somewhat ironically, St. Patrick was an immigrant to Ireland the same way so many Irish would later become immigrants in the United States, where modern St. Patrick’s Day was born.”*
What a beautiful picture of the gospel. Jesus left his country, heaven, to come and live as man to redeem man from slavery. He gave His life so that we might find life in Him; John 3:16-18(ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God”.
In the same way, we have been born in slavery. When we come to know Jesus, He sets us free from our bonds, gives us a new life and fills us with His life to share with others. We are no longer citizens of earth but become representatives of heaven. I love the following verses out of 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (ESV)…
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
It’s very possible that my Christian heritage on my mother side of our family came from the ministry of St Patrick to my Irish ancestors who eventually came to Canada and eventually to me. Thank you, Father for not only sending your son to Jesus but also sending others to share the gospel in lands where they once were slaves. Because of their selflessness, many found you. That is something to celebrate today as we remember the life and ministry of St Patrick.
*123dentisit.com