Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Irish Blessings!

 

An Old Irish Blessing For You! 

 

May the road rise up to meet you. 
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face, 
and rains fall soft upon your fields. 

And until we meet again, 

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Past Saint Patrick and St. Patrick's Day posts.

St. Patrick History
St. Patrick's Prayer 

St. Patrick History

We love to celebrate St Patrick's day usually we make cookies, do crafts, and read about the life of St Patrick.

Saint Patrick was ordained by St. Germanus, the of Auxerre,
whom he had studied under for years.

Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane. One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after he was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick.

Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick by now had many disciples, among them Beningnus, Auxilius, Iserninus, and Fiaac, (all later canonized as well). Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.

He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.

Why a shamrock? Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity,
and has been associated with him and the Irish since that time.

In His Footsteps: Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us.

He feared nothing, not even death, so complete was his trust in God, and of the importance of his mission.

Saint Patrick Pray For Us!

For more on St Patrick's Day:
More Saint Patrick History

Happy St Patrick's Day!

St Patrick's Prayer.

St Patrick's Day Shamrock and Links to Color Pages for the Kids

St. Patrick History

Saint Patrick

St Patrick's Day is coming soon, It is one of my favorite holidays it is on March 17Th. There are also so many fun color pages and projects you can get for free online this week I will share some that I found with you.

Lets start off with a little about St Patrick himself..

Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God."

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age.


As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped.

Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring Christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick's death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the "evil eye." Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there.

The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city.

Why Saint Patrick's Day?

Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide. So, why is it celebrated on March 17Th?

One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17Th.

Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17Th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

Have a Great Day!