March 17 - St. Patrick

­­+ Patrick was born into a wealthy Roman-British family probably in Wales in the year 390. Around the age of 16 he was kidnapped from the British mainland and shipped to Ireland as a slave. He was sent to the mountains as a shepherd; there he spent his time in the fields in prayer. After six years of this life, he had a dream which commanded him to return to Britain; seeing this as a sign he escaped from his duties to the sheep in the pastures. But he was always being prepared to become a shepherd of another kind of sheep. Having left Ireland, he studied in several monasteries in Europe.

Patrick became a priest and then a bishop. He was sent by Pope Celestine to evangelize England and then Ireland (he became the second bishop of Armagh). In 33 years he effectively converted all of Ireland (this being associated to the legend of his “driving out of the snakes” of the land therein). He spoke the language of his new poor flock and taught them using symbols such as the three-leafed shamrock to describe the Trinitarian life of God in Himself. In the Middle Ages, Ireland became known as the Land of Saints, and during the Dark Ages its monasteries were the great repositories of learning in Europe, all a consequence of Patrick’s ministry.

Patrick died in 464 in County Down of natural causes. There is just something about the life and ministry of St. Patrick that makes him irresistible even to this day and one of the most popular saints in all of Church history both to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Everyone is Irish on March 17.

The gospel passage today tells of the overflowing and abundant ministry of those who trust in God and follow his commands as far as bringing in wandering sheep from all over God’s creation; our churches ought to be full to overflowing – and to the extent that they are not perhaps it is a matter of focusing not so much on the machinery set in place to do the hauling, the diocesan structure of the world, with all its sometimes all too human personnel, as in the generosity of the hearts of those who are called to bring the very person of Jesus – living and breathing, within us – to people who are still eligible to have “the devil driven out of them” – like the snakes from Ireland! – and that would be you, and you and you, and me – this day – this glorious St. Patrick’s Day!

Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.