Many people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without really knowing anything about the man. St. Patrick is not a   intoxicated leprechaun—He is a powerful Saint who won the people of Ireland for Christ. He brought the Light into a place that was shrouded in thick darkness. Much of the information about him is based on his autobiographical work “The Confession”.  It’s really a great read and it’s very short. Link.

Patricius was a Christian from Wales who was kidnapped by pirates and enslaved in Ireland. Through the hardship that he endured there, he became a devout Christian who prayed every day. He learned the language while he was there. After he managed to escape by the mercy of God, Patrick did not intend to return— until he realized that God was calling him to go back as a priest. This relates to today’s Gospel reading at Mass as Fr. Mitch Pacwa and Fr. Joseph from EWTN pointed out. The reading today was about forgiveness—St. Peter asks the Lord how may times he should forgive someone who sins against him. Well Jesus responds that there is no limit on forgiveness. St. Patrick lived this by forgiving his captors and returning to the place of his captivity to preach the Gospel there.

<to be continued>