Saint Who?

Saturday is Saint Patrick's Day. So who was the man behind the myth?

Saint Patrick was a slave, a prisoner, an adventurer, a scholar, and a missionary. Basically, he was the Rambo of Celtic Christianity (not the greatest metaphor, but I'm going with it). Because of him, the Druidic culture of Ireland came to embrace Christianity, and in the process managed to save civilization.

Patrick is considered the "Patron Saint of the Excluded." Because he was taken as a young boy into slavery, and lived in a culture not his own, he knew what it was to be an "outsider" and to be mistreated. Yet rather than take revenge, Patrick came back to Ireland and preached the gospel to its people, choosing love over bitterness.

Here's a prayer from Saint Patrick that is worth remembering. (Notice how I have printed it festively in green letters, in the spirit of the holiday):

This day I call to me:
God's strength to direct me,
God's power to sustain me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's vision to light me,
God's ear to my hearing,
God's word to my speaking,
God's hand to uphold me,
God's pathway before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's legions to save me.

So if you're Irish, or you feel excluded, or you're a Christian, Patrick is your man.

And if I catch you not wearing green on Saturday, I will pinch you.