Who was Saint Patrick? Here's a hint: He was not the beer swilling, leprechaun-appearing brawler he seems to be immortalized as by many. The cultural and religious celebrations diverge dramatically - more so than Santa Claus vs. Saint Nicholas.
Patrick has a day set aside in the religious calendar to observe a feast in his name, not to dye rivers and fountains green, but to recall those deeds that garnered him sainthood. He is considered the patron saint of Ireland, but is not actually Irish. Born in Great Britain, he was captured by Irish pirates at 16 years of age. He was a slave caretaker to flocks in Ireland before he escaped after several years, following instructions he received from God in a dream. Following the instructions in that dream, he was able to return to Britain, where he was reunited with his family and then entered the ministry. In another dream where God spoke to him, he was instructed to return to Ireland, this time as a cleric, to work as a missionary in the northern and western parts of the country, to bring the message of Christ to all those who cried out due to the harshness of life. He was elevated to the office of Bishop during this time, and the day - today - set aside for the feast of St. Patrick, is generally considered to be the date of his death in 461 AD. What little we actually know of him comes from two writings attributed to him that survive to this day: one called "the Declaration" (a biographical confession of faith of sorts) and the other "A Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus." We get most of the information on Patrick from the former, which discusses the events of his life as they relate to his faith in God.
The point is that as a captive, he had every reason to descend into depression and despair. Rather, his emphasis was such that in good or bad times, he would remain committed to God. Patrick's life was mostly hard. Yet he returned to the place of his captivity, to spread God's Word across the country of Ireland. His faith in God sustained him in captivity, and it was his faith in God that inspired him to go and spread the love of Christ back in the land where he himself had been held captive for many years. So what of the many traditions surrounding Patrick today?
Though many of the St. Patrick traditions come more from modern culture than from his actual life, there are certain things that do come from Patrick's ministry among the Irish, specifically the color green and the shamrock. Patrick would use the shamrock to explain the nature of the Holy Trinity - and that life (the green of new growth) comes through knowing God. Patrick was, throughout his life, a humble man, whose devotion to God through hard times serves as a shining example to us all of what really matters in life. Because of his faith in God and his trust in the promise of Christ, he feared nothing.
While this is a very short synopsis of Patrick the saint, it is fitting that it end with "Saint Patrick's Breastplate," a prayer attributed to Patrick that shows his total and unwavering commitment to God: "Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."
May we all learn to live more like Patrick - the real Patrick - today and every day from here until life's end.
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