by Ray Keating
St. Patrick’s Day is
upon us, so I thought it was perfect for a Throwback Thursday column to look at
who St. Patrick was, and what he actually accomplished during his life. It
turns out St. Patrick was a humble Christian who followed Jesus’ directive: “Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Here’s a Newsday column of mine from
March 2004 on the subject …
Who was this guy St. Patrick, and why does he have his own
day? I admit to never really thinking much about the person behind St.
Patrick’s Day.
I discovered through a limited, highly unscientific survey at
a St. Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday that I was not alone. With a wee nip in the air, ‘twas a grand day
for a parade, and everyone lining Main Street in Center Moriches seemed to be
wearing the green. This scene has been
replayed year after year in towns from one end of Long Island to the
other.
I asked dozens of revelers: What do you think of when St.
Patrick’s Day is mentioned? The most
prevalent answers were parades, beer, corned beef and cabbage, shamrocks,
green, and Ireland or their ancestry.
Two women amusingly said they felt like St. Patrick’s Day widows because
their husbands played in bands during a variety of parades throughout the month
of March.
A couple of people mentioned snakes in Ireland, and just one
said she thought of the church. Only one
individual actually mentioned St. Patrick specifically.
The two things that St. Patrick is best known for – driving
the snakes out of Ireland and explaining the Holy Trinity using a shamrock – are
legend. But what little we know of the
real Patrick is no less dramatic or inspiring.
Most of the information comes from two surviving letters Patrick
wrote. One is the “Letter to the
Soldiers of Corocticus” and the other is called the “Confession of St.
Patrick.” Both are included in a new
biography St.
Patrick of Ireland by Philip
Freeman, who does an excellent job in bringing alive the world and times in
which Patrick lived.
Patrick was born some time in the late fourth or early fifth
century, and at the age of 16, was kidnapped from Britain by Irish raiders and
forced into slavery. During six years as
a slave in Ireland, his Christian faith took root and grew through extensive
prayer. After escaping and returning to
Britain, he received a vision in a dream calling him back to Ireland to spread
the good news about Jesus Christ.
Patrick became a priest, later a bishop, and did return to
Ireland, where he had been enslaved, to spread Christianity in that
predominantly pagan land. At
considerable peril, he followed Jesus’ directive: “Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
In his “Confession,” Patrick wrote: “I even went to the most remote
parts of the island – places at the very edge of the world, places no one had
ever seen before – to baptize and ordain clergy and confirm people in the
faith.”
This also was no holier-than-thou, self-important churchman. He recognized his own sinfulness. The “Confession” opens: “I am Patrick – a
sinner – the most unsophisticated and unworthy among all the faithful of
God.” His message emphasized God’s grace
and forgiveness, and the importance of prayer and faith. He concluded about his life’s work: “You must
understand – because it is the truth – that it was all the gift of God.”
For good measure, Patrick, according to scholars, was one of
the first Christians to speak out strongly against slavery, and played a role
in putting an end to human sacrifice in Ireland.
I’ve heard it said that you don’t have be Irish to wear the
green on St. Patrick’s Day. You also
don’t necessarily have to be a Roman Catholic to embrace St. Patrick. Heck, a sign outside the United Methodist
Church in Center Moriches highlighted a St. Patrick’s Day dinner this past
Saturday night. All Christians certainly
should be able to appreciate Patrick’s commitment to spreading the faith. Most people should be able to see the merits
of his humility, courage and conviction.
So, before taking a bite of corned beef, or a gulp of beer
on St. Patrick’s Day, at least a pause is warranted to think of the important
lessons offered by a very real man named Patrick.
______________
Mr. Keating is an
economist and novelist who writes on a wide range of topics. His Pastor Stephen
Grant novels have received considerable acclaim, including The River: A Pastor
Stephen Grant Novel being a finalist for KFUO radio’s Book of the Year 2014,
and Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel nominated for Book of the Year
2015.
The Pastor Stephen
Grant Novels are available at Amazon…
No comments:
Post a Comment