Happy St. Patrick’s Day (03/17/2025)

Today everything is green. They will dye the river in Chicago green. People will wear the green. Pubs will color their beer green. And there will be celebrations and parades honoring the 5th century missionary to Ireland but mostly honoring the Irish people and traditions. Today, across our country, most everyone will “act” Irish or be open to celebrating the Irish.

As I think about the true honoree of the day, I am reminded that he was first taken to Ireland as a slave and later returned as a missionary. He converted the majority of the Irish to Christianity. He used what he had to teach them like the three-leaf shamrock to teach them of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit. His life is inspiring. He came to love the very people who enslaved him and sought their salvation.

Today is a day when we celebrate the Irish, but originally, it was a day when we celebrated the loving work of a missionary. Today is a day when we wear the green reminiscent of the countryside of the island nation but it really is a reminder to us of St. Patrick’s hope that allowed him to return to the island nation to bring Christ to his previous captors.

Wear some green. Enjoy some Irish soda bread, corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. Claim to be Irish even if only a little bit. Today, as we celebrate the day and join in the festivities, let us give just a bit of time to consider the man we say we’re celebrating. Let us remember his hope and his desire to bring Christ to others and others to Christ. Let us consider how we might honor him best by imitating him – to whom could we bring Christ this day?

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.