For a long time saint Patrick made me uncomfortable. The story you hear is that St Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland which is either an ecological disaster or a metaphor for gross religious intolerance. But I have recently discovered St Patrick's whole story which brought him up in my estimation. When he was a young boy in either Scotland or Wales (suspect suspiciously definitely not England, St Paddy isn't English). One day he was stolen away from his parents and sold in Ireland as a slave. In his childhood he suffered greatly, swearing revenge without fail each day before bedding down in straw like a dog.
One day the young St Patrick escaped and found his way to England, to become a soldier and have his revenge on the heathens who had so wronged him. On his way to join the army, he met with a wandering monk. They paused on the road to break bread together. Patrick told the monk of his life and his imminent vengeance. When he had told all there was to tell, the monk was silent for a few minutes. Then the monk spoke of forgiveness and turning your cheek. While the monk spoke God put forgiveness into St Patrick's heart and called him into the church. Patrick that very day decided to abandon his quest for vengeance and to go with the monk to the church that he may learn to forgive.
In the next years Patrick became a priest then a bishop. All this time he never forgot his youth spent as a slave with the pagans across the water. As time passed and his pain grew distant he began to feel sorry for them. He grieved that they would never know the love of God that he swam in. Next comes the part of the story which is usually told; He went to Ireland with a mission and drove all of the pagan snakes from Ireland. To my mind this is the least important part of the tale. The conversion of Ireland is a great achievement to be sure, but it's hardly an equal to the courage of Jude, the kindness of Nick or the faith of Joan. The conversion isn't what makes Patrick a saint. It's the miracle of his forgiveness that makes him a saint and an inspiration.
One day the young St Patrick escaped and found his way to England, to become a soldier and have his revenge on the heathens who had so wronged him. On his way to join the army, he met with a wandering monk. They paused on the road to break bread together. Patrick told the monk of his life and his imminent vengeance. When he had told all there was to tell, the monk was silent for a few minutes. Then the monk spoke of forgiveness and turning your cheek. While the monk spoke God put forgiveness into St Patrick's heart and called him into the church. Patrick that very day decided to abandon his quest for vengeance and to go with the monk to the church that he may learn to forgive.
In the next years Patrick became a priest then a bishop. All this time he never forgot his youth spent as a slave with the pagans across the water. As time passed and his pain grew distant he began to feel sorry for them. He grieved that they would never know the love of God that he swam in. Next comes the part of the story which is usually told; He went to Ireland with a mission and drove all of the pagan snakes from Ireland. To my mind this is the least important part of the tale. The conversion of Ireland is a great achievement to be sure, but it's hardly an equal to the courage of Jude, the kindness of Nick or the faith of Joan. The conversion isn't what makes Patrick a saint. It's the miracle of his forgiveness that makes him a saint and an inspiration.
I'm a staunch atheist but one thing that I like about Christianity is its focus on forgiveness (preached, if not always practiced). St Patrick embodies this. The fact remains that he didn't go over the water with fire and steel but instead brought with him the peace and love which he believed would save his tormentors souls. I wish I could be so forgiving.
Why we celebrate this man by drinking Guinness until we piss black is beyond me.
My next post will cover my St Patrick's celebrations in a catch up, in which I will not speak of St Patrick once (although my brother is home from Uni, his name is Patrick but he isn't a saint)
Why we celebrate this man by drinking Guinness until we piss black is beyond me.
My next post will cover my St Patrick's celebrations in a catch up, in which I will not speak of St Patrick once (although my brother is home from Uni, his name is Patrick but he isn't a saint)
* (or a great crime depending on your perspective)
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