What the world celebrates as “St. Patrick’s Day”—a day for parties, drinking, and wearing a specific color of clothing—is almost a counterfeit of the real Feast of Saint Patrick. Patrick has been celebrated for centuries, but today, in many ways, we simply enjoy the feast and forget the man. Therefore, let us take a moment to recall the real Saint Patrick so that we can more faithfully celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. 

Patrick’s life is a witness to the workings of God’s providence through trouble and trial. Consider his life story. A Christian native of Roman-Britain in the fifth century, Patrick was captured by raiders from Ireland and brought to that country as a slave. He spent six years in servitude before making his escape back to Britain. During his captivity, Patrick did not despair of God’s care for him. To the contrary, his life of prayer nourished and sustained him through those long years. As so often happens, in the midst of the greatest human trials, God showered on St. Patrick the greatest spiritual blessings.

Once he was freed and reunited with his family, Patrick surprisingly received the vision and call from God to return to Ireland, the land of his captivity. This time, he would go voluntarily to be the servant and witness of Christ to the Irish. He became the “Apostle of Ireland” and so filled the land with the love and knowledge of Christ that it became known as the “Land of Saints and Scholars.”   

St. Patrick is, in certain ways, a caricatured saint. For some, he is known primarily for his somewhat fuzzy Trinitarian analogies. (Certainly, a shamrock is not a perfect image of God: what creaturely analogy for the Trinity doesn’t have its drawbacks?) What can easily be overlooked is that he was a fervent missionary who baptized thousands in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Many today might assume he is the patron saint of binge drinking, but the truth is that he drank deeply of the life-giving waters of Christ. He was so suffused with the grace of Christ that, through him, grace was showered upon an entire land. And yet in the midst of his great evangelistic accomplishments, he always carried himself with humility and gave glory to God as the author of all good works. He wrote, “I beg of those who believe and fear God . . . that no one may ever say, if I have done or demonstrated anything according to the will of God, however little, that it was my ignorance [that did it]. But judge ye, and let it be most truly believed, that it has been the gift of God” (quoted in Butler’s Lives of the Saints, Vol. 3, 1995 ed., 171-172).

We can imitate Patrick’s utter devotion to Christ by praying the beautiful prayer attributed to him:

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Today, let us celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick, but let us do so virtuously. Say a prayer for Ireland and ask for God’s grace to be open to whatever mission he might have for you. In this way, you will honor the real Saint Patrick. And only then, if you like, raise a glass of Guinness and toast a wonderful saint.

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Image: Fr. Lawrence Lew (used with permission)