There are many wonderful things to celebrate with the remembrance of St. Patrick. Indeed, if one would take the time to read the real history of St. Patrick one would see his complete and total faith and trust in God. One would see a holy man who for the love of Christ and His Catholic Church returned to a land that once enslaved him and converted them to Christianity through the Catholic Church! One would see a devout Bishop who endured every kind of hardship for the sake of Christ to a people who never even heard of Christ. One would see a faithful Bishop who built churches and served the poor. One would know that St. Patrick used the shamrock not for good luck but to teach the people about the Holy Trinity, Father, Son & Holy Spirit; one God in three persons!
St. Patrick has become for the Irish a symbol of not just the faith of their country but national pride. From that, as the Irish immigrated to places like the United States, things like parades and various celebrations begun. Traditions like wearing green on March 17th and "kiss me, I'm Irish" are very familiar. What is very unlike the life and witness of good holy St. Patrick is some of the foolishness associated with St. Patrick's Day. Like Mardi Gras, and other celebrations, we crazy "me first" adults have hijacked what should be a prayerful, reflective day celebrating God and His Church!
Good holy St. Patrick is not about drinking to excess, partying all types of hours in the street, dying a river green, did I mention drinking to excess? Now I know what comes here along with the rolling of your eyes. Deacon you are one amazing Debbie-downer. Perhaps. I've just arrived at a place in life where celebrating the life of a real Saint, a hero to Catholics for love of God, is not about the secular. We tend to turn everything into a crazed celebration that focuses on so many things that takes away from God. Now good holy St. Patrick is mixed up with people sneaking out of work, mostly to drink, political style debate over who is in and who is out at the local St. Patrick's Day Parade. St. Patrick must be thrilled at all the carping going on in the media, not to mention social media depictions that do anything but give glory to God.
How about this; because I know no rant of one Catholic Deacon is going to convince you! If you find yourself addicted to how the world tells us to celebrate St. Patrick, can we start with a little balance? Still going to a party or parade or whatever? Balance this with maybe attending Mass in the morning, reading about the real life of a real Saint, pray a prayer like St. Patrick's Breastplate, or simply ask, does my celebration give glory and honor to God; does it respect the life and witness of St. Patrick?
Rant over.
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