On Wednesday March 17th it will be St. Patrick’s Day. Here in the United States it is largely a secular holiday to celebrate Irish culture and a occasion where many indulge in revelry. It’s origin however, was to honor a man who had a great impact on faith in Ireland and abroad.
Wilstar.com http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm is a website where information about holidays, customs and traditions are explained. In their article about St Patrick’s Day, they give some biographical details about Patrick as well as background on common symbols. Here are excerpts from that web page:
“Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.
He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.
One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day”
If you would like to learn more about St Patrick, click on this link to see what’s available at the Upper Room Store: http://theupperroomstore.deepershopping.com/index.php?module=productsearch&product_config=&title=St+Patrick&artist=&isbn=&upc=&language=&releasedays=0
You might also enjoy this song “Irish Day” by Iona http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S68NKorqcFI
Blessings to you!
No comments:
Post a Comment