St. Patrick was not a Leprechaun

This St. Patrick's Day, as with most holidays rooted (loosely) in Christian people or events (see: Christmas and Easter), a whole lot of culture and ceremony cloaks the woman, the man, or the event lying behind it all.

I don't want to bore us with a full biography of the real St. Patrick, but I do want to say a couple words about him and leave you with one of his prayers.

Prior to the fourth century the people of the Celtic islands lived in a world saturated with pagan gods. There was Lug, the luminous god, and Dagda, the chthonic (underworld) god, as well as gods for each tribe that would protect the family and keep the cattle and the earth fertile. The first attempts to evangelize Ireland were marginally successful and wrought with heretical doctrines. Patrick was the missionary who is attributed with the real conversion of Ireland. He was successful in converting many of the tribal leaders in the faith - and therefore their tribes. Many of Patrick's first disciples and key leaders in the conversion were women. Soon monasteries were established in many of the regions from where a devout form of Christianity began to grow and spread.

One of the key characteristics of Celtic spirituality following Patrick's lead was a rigorous devotion to prayer (including the DAILY recitation of the Psalms!). In their struggle against sin and temptation they developed long litanies of prayer called "loricae" or "breastplates."

Here is one "lorica" attributed to Patrick:

I arise today

through God's strength to pilot me:

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's host to secure me,

against snares of the devil,

against temptations of vices,

against inclinations of nature,

against everyone who shall wish me ill,

afar and near,

alone and in a crowd.

The Celts took sin and repentance and temptation very seriously. They knew that the way to holiness and the way of Jesus required a dogged commitment to put the old life to death and allow the new life of the Spirit to come alive in us.

Ironic that a man so devoted to purity and prayer would be 'honored' by a rather decadent holiday. Don't worry, Patrick, the manger and the empty tomb know how you feel!

May today remind us of the vigilance required to follow Jesus in this new Spirit-formed life of the Kingdom. May we take up this breastplate of Patrick in our fight for holiness today.