Why St. Patrick's Day Is Important ☘️

I love learning more about St. Patrick each year and the origins of why we celebrate this day - it’s a whole lot more than parades and booze... 😏

“Christ be with me,

Christ within me,

Christ behind me,

Christ before me,

Christ beside me,

Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ in quiet,

Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”

— St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

So, how does a 5th century prayer help us today?

St. Patrick declared his faith with boldness. He was violently attacked and responded with non-violence. Although he wasn’t even Irish, he did everything he could to help the Irish people who were suffering from slavery and the effects of warfare. He shared the light with them, because the light brings freedom.

When I pray this prayer, I’m reminded:

• We are hemmed in behind and before.

• There’s literally nothing, nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. And we should be making sure every single person knows that.

• We have everything we need to fight against darkness and cling to the light that restores and shines “above and beneath” ANY possible situation we can find ourselves in. I know it’s true. I’ve experienced that light, that peace, time and time again, in times when it just doesn’t make any sense at all.

See? A lot more than parades and booze.

Here’s my favorite picture book about St. Patrick to read to my children - nave you read it? Gotta love Tomie dePaola.

For a fun St. Patrick’s Day lunch or dinner, check out my Green-Themed Charcuterie Board and Pea Pesto Recipe. ☘️

*Any sales through link to Amazon benefits Peace Gospel International through Amazon Smile.