Should we celebrate St. Patrick?

This coming Thursday will be St. Patrick's Day.  For a sincere Christian, this can be a confusing time. In theory, it is a celebration of a particular Christian man who ministered in Ireland. But it has become - in American usage - simply a time to celebrate Irish culture. And among some, it has become little more than an excuse to drink alcohol to excess and carouse. Is this a holiday we should observe at all?

Well, luckily, much is known about Patrick, and it turns out he was a true follower of Jesus and a powerful evangelist. This is a man whose life is worth remembering!

As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him...Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britian, where he reunited with his family.

He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message.

Remembering great men of the Faith is important, so long as we always keep our eyes on Jesus, as they did.