St. Patrick’s Day Beyond The Green Beer: What The Saint’s Own Words Reveal
(ANALYSIS) Having spent a considerable amount of time in Ireland over the past year, St. Patrick’s Day will mean something different for me this year — and, probably, in years to come.
Growing up, attending Catholic school, St. Patrick’s Day meant not having to wear the standard uniform — dark blue plaid jumpers with white blouses for the girls — in favor of bright green.
Usually, the “room mothers” would supply shamrock-shaped cookies with green frosting for a treat.
READ: These American Cities Throw The Best St. Patrick’s Day Parties
At morning Mass, with daily attendance a requirement in those days, the hymns were a bit livelier than the traditional Lenten selections. Some students skipped school entirely, if they were part of the annual parade held — sometimes while it was snowing! — with spirited jigs featuring fiddles, bagpipes and drums.
In most dioceses, if St. Paddy’s Day fell on a Friday during the holy season of penitence, the bishop — especially if he was Irish himself — granted a dispensation from abstaining from meat, so corned beef and cabbage could be consumed with gusto.
‘We’re all Irish today’ — but would St. Patrick approve?
While I claim a bit of Irish blood in my veins, that meal didn’t really ever become a thing for me. Nor did the custom of a “pub crawl” to celebrate the day, the intention being to patronize local businesses and get as drunk as possible, safely, riding a bus from point to point.
The excuse, “We’re all Irish today,” makes me wonder if St. Patrick would approve of how the crowds honor his feast.
Considering the prayer attributed to this former slave who was transported to Ireland in the fifth century — the “Faeth Fiada,” Lorica of St. Patrick, or St. Patrick’s Breastplate — perhaps not.
This excerpt reminds us of how we should walk through daily life:
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 down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man 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.
The real Patrick: Slave, exile, missionary
The facts of St. Patrick’s life are varied and, sometimes, conflicting, depending on the source material. Some research indicates he was born in Wales and converted to Christianity later in life.
Others state he was born into a Christian family, possibly in Scotland. Even the date of his birth is disputed, calculated to be anywhere from the late fourth century into the early fifth.
What matters is how he survived being taken from his homeland as a teenager and transported to foreign soil, according to his own writings, then fled after six years back to his parents.
He might’ve remained there, but felt called back to Ireland as a missionary to the people. He had some degree of education, being able to write in Latin while speaking in the common tongues of that era.
There is some mention of him being a deacon and, later, a bishop, though details of his ordination are not mentioned in his own writings. He defended himself against accusations of misconduct, was imprisoned and fully expected to be martyred for his faith.
Patrick’s willingness to risk all to share his faith with the Irish people is, definitely, cause to celebrate on March 17.
Perhaps, though, instead of meeting at the pub to drink the place dry, the day could be spent in service to those who, like Patrick, find themselves in dire circumstances: whether immigrants, human trafficking survivors, the homeless, prisoners — as we see Christ in everything and everyone around us.
This piece was originally published at FaVS News.
Julie A. Ferraro is a communications professional who works extensively with Catholic religious communities. Originally from South Bend, Indiana, she is a mother and grandmother. She has been a journalist for more than 35 years and continues her studies of both Benedictine and Franciscan spirituality.