St. Patrick's legend dates back to 1726, where at about age 16, he is reputed to have been captured from his home by Irish pirates & taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. He says this escape was made possible when he put his faith in God and once home it is where he put that small bud of faith into the study of Christianity.
After such an ordeal, few of us would want to return to a land that took away our personal freedom, but St. Patrick did not harbor those feelings. A few years after he returned home, legend has it that he received a letter from Victoricus titled and intended to cast his fate as "The Voice of the Irish" and to return to Ireland to aid the unfree and the poor.
Once back in Ireland, St. Patrick's situation was a dire one, as a foreigner in Ireland and his refusal to accept gifts from Kings; with no ties of kinship, fosterage or affinity, legally he was without protection. At times he was beaten and robbed of all he had and at least once put in chains to await execution. But he escaped and survived all of that...and fought those that enslaved his converts to Christianity; by overthrowing pagan idols, as well as ruthless kings. Aided by two ancient warriors; Cailte mac Ronain , a man of remarkable speed who could communicate with animals and deliver a great story and Oisin one of Ireland's greatest poets, both of whom were warriors of the Fianna and men whom St. Patrick had converted to Christianity.
These men who stood by St. Patrick, had a general and like minded motivation to do so, their motto for life as translated from Latin depicts that they stood for:
The shamrock came into St. Patrick's legacy as a symbol of the parable that St. Patrick, used in his teachings to show people how a three-leafed plant, illustrated the Christian teaching of three persons in one God; he is credited with creating over 300 churches with followers in the 100's of thousands.
The color associated with St. Patrick is really blue, due to the rain in the emerald isles; in the 19th century, green became the color of Ireland representing the fact that it is lush and green all year round, distinctly alive. It is said that wearing the color green is an act of paying tribute to Ireland and brings good luck especially when worn on St. Patrick's Day; to this day Irish children have a tradition of pinching people who forget to wear green, so beware...
While St. Patrick is on the list of Saints, he has never been formally canonized by a Pope; nevertheless, remembrance of his death date is known world wide; not as a day of mourning, but as a day of celebration - for a life well lived. Many Christian churches worldwide declare that St. Patrick, is a Saint in Heaven, even if not recognized by the Vatican on earth.
This Saint Patrick day, March 17, 2014, remember the boy torn away from his home and family and pray for the many facing the same fate today; pray that they too find their way home and are able to grow up to become men and women able to face their tormentors and put their fears aside to stand up for what they believe in, so other's can be free and rich in love.
After all, those that we've met and have yet to discover may only be separated from us by a t AnGle D red thread waiting for us to have the faith to unravel it's course ...
After such an ordeal, few of us would want to return to a land that took away our personal freedom, but St. Patrick did not harbor those feelings. A few years after he returned home, legend has it that he received a letter from Victoricus titled and intended to cast his fate as "The Voice of the Irish" and to return to Ireland to aid the unfree and the poor.
Once back in Ireland, St. Patrick's situation was a dire one, as a foreigner in Ireland and his refusal to accept gifts from Kings; with no ties of kinship, fosterage or affinity, legally he was without protection. At times he was beaten and robbed of all he had and at least once put in chains to await execution. But he escaped and survived all of that...and fought those that enslaved his converts to Christianity; by overthrowing pagan idols, as well as ruthless kings. Aided by two ancient warriors; Cailte mac Ronain , a man of remarkable speed who could communicate with animals and deliver a great story and Oisin one of Ireland's greatest poets, both of whom were warriors of the Fianna and men whom St. Patrick had converted to Christianity.
These men who stood by St. Patrick, had a general and like minded motivation to do so, their motto for life as translated from Latin depicts that they stood for:
- Glaine ár gcroí (Purity of our hearts)
- Neart ár ngéag (Strength of our limbs)
- Beart de réir ár mbriathar (Action to match our speech)
Clearly indicative of that invisible red thread of fate that connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. These men literally lived hundreds of years before St. Patrick, clearly an indicator that the magical cord that bonded them may stretch or tangle, but it never broke.
The color associated with St. Patrick is really blue, due to the rain in the emerald isles; in the 19th century, green became the color of Ireland representing the fact that it is lush and green all year round, distinctly alive. It is said that wearing the color green is an act of paying tribute to Ireland and brings good luck especially when worn on St. Patrick's Day; to this day Irish children have a tradition of pinching people who forget to wear green, so beware...
While St. Patrick is on the list of Saints, he has never been formally canonized by a Pope; nevertheless, remembrance of his death date is known world wide; not as a day of mourning, but as a day of celebration - for a life well lived. Many Christian churches worldwide declare that St. Patrick, is a Saint in Heaven, even if not recognized by the Vatican on earth.
This Saint Patrick day, March 17, 2014, remember the boy torn away from his home and family and pray for the many facing the same fate today; pray that they too find their way home and are able to grow up to become men and women able to face their tormentors and put their fears aside to stand up for what they believe in, so other's can be free and rich in love.
After all, those that we've met and have yet to discover may only be separated from us by a t AnGle D red thread waiting for us to have the faith to unravel it's course ...
This Irish Blessing found on youtube is song by Debbie Zepick
Happy St. Patrick's Day
see you soon
The Head Fairy
Story adapted by: Denise-Marie McIntosh aka The Head Fairy
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