Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Today is the feast of St. Patrick – one of the few days each year, other than Christmas, where both the Church and the secular world celebrate the same holiday. St. Patty’s Day is associated with Ireland, wearing green, leprechauns, and maybe enjoying a beer or few…but what do we really know about the great saint whom we celebrate today?
For starters, St. Patrick was actually born in England in the late 4th century! As a teenager, he was kidnapped, taken to Ireland, and forced to work as a slave for several years. Eventually he escaped back to England where he became a priest and a bishop. Then Patrick really did the unthinkable – he decided to return to Ireland as a missionary!
You can imagine how it might feel to return to a place where you were once enslaved. But Patrick returned with love in his heart for a people that, at that time in history, did not yet know Christianity. He combined his humility and deep faith with his knowledge of the Irish people and their customs to spread Christianity throughout the entire country.
God, help me to be humble, merciful, and loving like St. Patrick to all whom I encounter today, spreading your love wherever I go.
St. Patrick, pray for us!