St. Patrick's Day Part 1

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Are you wearing green today? I hope so, you don't want to be pinched! I've already been pinching sweet little buns this morning. I couldn't resist! :)

St. Patrick's Day is such a fun holiday, and one that has great meaning in my Irish family. My great grandfather came over from Ireland to America and planted his roots, leaving his parents and siblings behind. What courage! I will never forget going to Ellis Island and tracking the foot steps that my family made so many years before me.

St. Patrick's Day is so much more than wearing a little green, eating some corned beef, and drinking your weight in Guiness. It is a day to celebrate a great man who lived his life serving God and the people of Ireland. St. Patrick (born Maewyn Succat...doesn't have the same ring :) was actually born in Wales and was captured by Irish raiders to be a slave in Ireland when he was 16. After six years, he escaped and returned to his family, only to later return to Ireland as a missionary later in life and be named the Patron Saint of Ireland. Quite a turn-around! His calling from God was to teach those who didn't know about Christ, while doing this, he also built many schools and churches and became a man that many Irish loved. The shamrock, which was not four leafed but three, became a signature example that he used in his sermons to explain the Holy Trinity.

St. Patrick was one of the earliest Christian missionaries, he proved that Christians could live out the Biblical commandment to spread the word of God while "exalting and confessing his wonders before all the nations that are under the heavens.” When he died on March 17th, 461, a day to remember and celebrate was born. A day to feast!

Are you done with your history lesson yet? :) Just a little food for thought as we celebrate this fun holiday.

This was from Saint Patrick's Breastplate:

Christ be
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 where I lie
Christ where I sit
Christ where I arise
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me
Christ in every eye that sees me
Christ in every ear that hears me
Salvation is of the Lord.

I have lot's of fun St. Patrick's Day activities for my little shamrocks today. (at home of course) We have pots of gold to eat, Irish cinnamon rolls with green clover icing to scarf down, and so much more. I will post fun pictures when the day is done, but for now, Have a great (and safe) Saint Patrick's Day!