Mar 17th - Patrick

In this post-"Enlightenment" time, the idea of "holiday" being a secularization of "holy day" is not surprising. Nor should it be surprising that national pride for Irish-American Catholics should center about their patron saint. Patrick and the immigrant Irish experience in America fall directly into this.
What should surprise us is the nature of the celebration. As with the Tuesday before Lent (call it Mardi Gras/Carnival/Fat Tuesday, whatever you will), it is the attitude that has changed our holy days into holidays, and our holidays into debauchery.
"Everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's day," I often hear and see on signs and buttons. Apparently that means that the Irish are amoral bacchanalians and that Patrick is their Bacchus.
But I am confidently certain that was not what Patrick had in mind when he first returned to the shores of Ireland to bring those that brought him into slavery into Christ's wonderful light. And for us, the island of Ireland protected it from much of the scourges that ravaged Europe and the Western Church. Tis the luck of the Irish (and that of the Western Church) that allowed them to protect and then teach the Faith that came to them from Patrick back into the arms of those who gave it to him.
Let us remember on this "holy day" the gift of Patrick not only for Ireland but to the whole Church, and keep it as a holy-day.

---

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ 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 when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

-- St. Patrick's Breastplate