Green's Color

Shamrocks, Leprechauns, the Color Green, a Pot of Gold, and Guinness Beer. I wish you all these and more. The luck of the Irish! But wait!! Is this the essence of the holiday? For starters, what I find interesting is that St Patrick wasn't even Irish. When I found that out, I was curious.

How did this non-Irish man become so entrenched in Irish history? His integral part of the Irish heritage is in the way he served the country in the 5th century in very unique ways. Patrick (Patricius), which was most likely his Romanized name, grew up as the son of a Roman-British officer. At a young age, he was captured from Britain where he was sold as a slave in Ireland. He spent six years in prison there and during that time, he had an encounter with God that changed the direction of his life.

The story goes that his escape from Ireland was God-ordained and God-directed. When he escaped, he went to Britian and to France and studied in a monastery for 12 years. After becoming a Catholic bishop, He had a dream that the Irish were calling him back to Ireland to tell them about God. He was given the Pope's blessing and went to Ireland. Many of the Gaelic Irish became Christ-followers as He traveled across the country for over 20 years sharing Christ and baptizing a lot of people. He established monasteries, schools, churches but his commitment to the Irish people also caused tension with the Celtic Druids who arrested him on several occasions.

The fact that Patrick was used to bring native Irishmen and women to a vibrant faith and develop the culture and community is a part of history. Now we celebrate it with Guinness beer. I guess that's not all bad, but Pat's life was richer with substance than any Guinness you might drink today. And for any beer drinkers, I guess that's saying a lot.

By the end of the 7th century, many stories were circulated about Patrick's life. It was said he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity - the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. There's also a legend that he asked God to take authority over venomous snakes in Ireland, driving all the snakes into the sea where they drowned. These may be legends but after some 1500 years, these legends have been inseparably combined with facts. Patrick's mission in Ireland ended on March 17, AD 461 when he died and now this day is celebrated worldwide as St. Patrick's Day.

As you take a sip of your beer, look for your pot of gold, and sport a bit of green, remember He was a man on a mission. As my body shop bag reads, "Green is not just a color, it's a state of mind." Not really sure how that applies, but go with it.