Saint Patrick

St. Patrick was brought to Ireland from Wales as a slave. He escaped and returned to Wales, but decided to return to bring Christianity to the pagan Irish. This was largely successful, given that a couple of hundred years after his death Ireland was known as the Land of Saints and Scholars. He used the shamrock to illustrate the concept of the Holy Trinity.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated as Ireland's national holiday, on March 17th.

Since we're all sinners on e2, I thought I'd give us a few prayers to say next time we've tied a few on:

This prayer is attributed to Saint Patrick:
(Plus, I really couldn't resist it - the potential nodeshells are excellent.)

As I arise today,
may the strength of God pilot me,
the power of God uphold me,
the wisdom of God guide me.
May the eye of God look before me,
the ear of God hear me,
the word of God speak for me.
May the hand of God protect me,
the way of God lie before me,
the shield of God defend me,
the host of God save me.
May Christ shield me today.
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,
Christ when I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone 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.

Amen.

If you'd like to actually pray to Saint Patrick - try this one:

Dear St. Patrick,
in your humility you called yourself a sinner,
but you became a most successful missionary
and prompted countless pagans
to follow the Saviour.
Many of their descendents in turn
spread the Good News in numerous foreign lands.
Through your powerful intercession with God,
obtain the missionaries we need
to continue the work you began.

Amen.

But he didn't stop there. Oh no. When Saint Patrick was finished banishing all the snakes, he then went around the country and destroyed all snake fossils, and any written documents stating that there had ever been snakes in Ireland. What a guy.

Not to be confused with Saint Fred, who drove all the sabre-tooth tigers out of Leitrim.

this joke copyright Ed Byrne

St Patrick

St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain, around 389. When he was 16, he was sold into slavery to Ireland where he was a shepherd for 6 years. While in captivity he studied and turned to religion. He wrote : "The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same."
"I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

He escaped slavery and later returned to Ireland as a missionary, determined to convert Ireland to Christianity. He used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.

He was ordained as Bishop of Ireland in 431 (by St. Germanus). He was able to secure tolerance for Christians in Ireland during his life there. He is said to have died in 461 and to be buried in Downpatrick (the first church). St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin was built in the 12th Century. He is also said to have drummed the snakes from Ireland and into the sea.