Today, I decided to give a bit of a history lesson in this blog entry and share some Irish blessings and prayers (I love those Irish prayers and blessings).
I learned something new today. The story of St. Patrick is a story about forgiveness. It's a neat story. As a teenager, he was captured by Irishmen, brought to Ireland and held captive as a slave for years. This experience changed everything for Patrick. He remembered things he learned as a child about God and, eventually turned his life to God. Although he escaped from his captors, he still held resentment for them. He went through a process of forgiveness and was finally able to release the resentment. He eventually went back to Ireland, as he felt God calling him to do so. Rumour has it, he was the first to bring Christianity to Ireland. Follow some of the links below that tell his story.Forgiveness: The Story of that Great Englishman St. Patrick
Leadership Lessons from the Life of Saint Patrick
Patrick and Forgiveness
Other facts about St. Patty's Day
- was established as a religious feast in honour of the life and death of St. Patrick
- it has come to be a celebration of all things Irish
- North America has developed traditions of its own - wearing green, pinching people on St. Patty's Day if they're not wearing green, drinking green beer
Irish Traditions 
- eating Irish food
- drinking beer
- wearing green in Ireland is apparently bad luck ... I wonder why North Americans think we should wear green.
(copied from link)
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Leprechauns
As a St. Patrick's Day symbol, the leprechaun is a smiling, merry little elf. However, legend tells us that leprechauns are always grumpy, untrustworthy and very tricky. Leprechauns are believed to be little old men who make shoes for fairies and are usually about two feet tall. The legend says that if you catch a leprechaun, you can force them to tell you where they hid their pot of gold.
Shamrocks
According to Irish legend, St. Patrick chose a three leaved clover or shamrock as a symbol of the church's Holy Trinity because of its three leaflets bound by a common stalk. He used the tri-leaved plant to help illustrate the idea of the holy trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. A shamrock is not a four leaf clover, contrary to popular belief. When a four leaf clover is found it is said to represent God's grace. The good luck attached with
the four leaf clover predates Christianity in Ireland back to the ancient Druid priests.
The Claddagh Ring
The Claddagh Ring features two cupped hands holding a heart with a crown on top. It has been the traditional wedding ring of the Irish since the 17th century. For love, the heart is worn. In friendship, the hands are worn. And, in loyalty and lasting fidelity, the crown is worn.
If the ring is worn on the right hand, with crown and heart facing out, this symbolizes that the wearer's heart is yet to be won. While dating and under love's spell it is worn with heart and crown facing inwards (still on the right hand.) Wearing the ring on the left hand, with the crown and heart facing inwards, signifies that your love has been given to one and only one, through marriage.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage is the traditional meal enjoyed by many on St. Patrick's Day, but only half of it is truly Irish. Cabbage has long been a staple of the Irish diet, but it was traditionally served with Irish bacon, not corned beef. The corned beef was substituted for bacon by Irish immigrants to the Americas around the turn of the century who could not afford the real thing. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.
Irish Prayers and Blessings
(copied from link)
An Irish Prayer
May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.
A Wish for a Friend
Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!
| From Saint Patrick's Breastplate |
| Christ be 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 where I lie Christ where I sit Christ where I arise Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me Christ in every eye that sees me Christ in every ear that hears me Salvation is of the Lord. |
| Said in the morning when rising... |
| Christ be with me, be after me, be before me, and be at my right and left hand. May everything I do be for Christ. |
An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
*********
If God sends you down a stony path,
may he give you strong shoes.
********
May the blessing of the rain be on you—
the soft sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirit
so that all the little flowers may spring up,
and shed their sweetness on the air.
May the blessing of the great rains be on you,
may they beat upon your spirit
and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there many a shining pool
where the blue of heaven shines,
and sometimes a star.
********
May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck,
brightened by a song in your heart,
and warmed by the smile of the people you love.
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