"Patrick is one of the best-known of the missionary saints. Born to a Christian family in Britain around the year AD 389 he was captured as a teenager by raiders, taken to Ireland, and forced to serve as a herdsman. After six years, he escaped and found his way to a monastery community in France. Ordained a bishop, it is believed that Patrick made his way back to Ireland in the summer of 433, and there spent the rest of his long life spreading the Gospel and organizing Christian communities. He strongly defended the doctrine of the Holy Trinity in a time when it was not popular to do so. His literary legacy includes his autobiography,
Confession, and several prayers and hymns still used in the Church today. At least one tradition states that Patrick died in Ireland on March 17 around the year AD 466."
Taken from the
Treasury of Daily Prayer. This book is VERY awesome! A great devotional and I can't even tell you about all the cool features. Check out the link. We use this for our family "debotions" (as Naomi would say) and we really like it.
Did you know all that? It is something that I just learned too (or maybe re-learned since I don't remember learning it before) Isn't it funny how many of the holidays that we celebrate were at one time probably meant to celebrate these Christians and what they did, and now they are pretty much just secular holidays? Isn't it funny how everything is so secular these days? I'm not laughing, are you? Just wanted to point out what St. Patrick's day is REALLY all about.
Oh and I'm on a mission to reclaim the rainbow for Christianity. Anyone with me?
ditto on the rainbow
One of my favorite hymns is attributed to St. Patrick. In the LSB it is titled "I Bind Unto Myself Today" (604), but it is better known as St. Patrick's Breastplate, check it out: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/t/stpatric.htm
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