Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2021
We will start with a little information about this holiday. Saint Patrick’s Day was made an official Christian holiday in the early 17th century. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades, festivals, and the wearing of green attire.
I remember when we were kids we would try and find four leaf clovers, pinch someone who forgot to wear green, or try to find the leprechaun and his gold at the end of the rainbow. That was then. This is now. Someone will ban four-leaf clovers because they are offensive to three leaf clovers. You will not be allowed to pinch anyone without their permission. The leprechaun is too greedy, so his gold should be used to forgive student loan debt.
If someone were to ask me before what I enjoy the most about St. Patrick’s Day I probably would have said getting to wear anything John Deere, or Boston Celtic green. It is no surprise to anyone that knows me that I am a true devotee of both. I have been told however that there is a fine line between devotion and obsession. Let’s stick with devotion for now, since I am the one who gets to choose what goes into the story.
I will admit I really hadn’t thought about how this holiday was created to celebrate Christianity arriving to a country. I thought it was just another holiday. The way things are going in our country and the world right now, I can’t think of a better reason to celebrate the Christian values I have been fortunate enough to receive. I have always known they were there to guide me, but I confess I have taken them for granted. But that’s the best thing about these values. They have been and always will be there for me.
We are facing many challenges in our country right now. It seems like there is a lot of anger and division. But I still believe the majority of people follow the golden rule of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I am profoundly grateful to be able to observe the examples of true Christianity from so many people. It gives me hope for my community and my country. I have been blessed to be able to witness all the examples every one of you have shown to me. Thank you for that and thanks for reading.
Next week: Let’s get this party started
P.S. Four leaf clovers are also offensive to two and one leaf clovers. That was offensive of me to leave them out.