St. Patrick's Day {it's about more than green beer}

Things we learned about the true meaning behind St. Patrick's Day:

• St. Patrick was born in France, but was kidnapped by pirates and taken to Ireland where he was sold into slavery. He tended sheep and pigs for a farmer and often ate the pig swill just to survive.
• He prayed more than 100 times per day!
• God called him back to France at age 17 where he trained to become a pastor.
• God called him back to pagan Ireland as a missionary after he graduated.
• Patrick used the clover to illustrate the trinity. One seed, three leaves...One God, three Persons.
• The Irish do not eat corned beef. Ever. Ok, this doesn't really have anything to do with St. Patrick, himself. I don't really know where some of these American traditions came from, but it's interesting how the true meaning of St. Patrick's Day has been almost entirely lost over the centuries {I'm not sure why this surprises me considering what we've done to Christmas and Easter...}. However, thanks to a 5 minute google search and a veggie tales video, we discovered today that there is a really amazing story behind this "holiday" that certainly does bear celebrating!

For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.

~ Confession of St. Patrick