Photo by Taylor Kopel on Unsplash
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! When we hear of St. Patrick, we think of green clovers, drinking, parades, corned beef and cabbage, and parties. But how many of us think of the amazing Apostle of Ireland, St. Patrick?
St. Patrick was born in the 4th century. When he was sixteen, he was captured by Irish pirates. He was called by God to preach to the people of Ireland. He is most known for his teaching of the Trinity. He used a three-leaf clover to show that the trinity, like the clover, had three parts within one.
St. Patrick faced persecution for spreading God’s message, but he never stopped. It is also believed that during a 40-day fasting period, St. Patrick banished all snakes from Ireland. St. Patrick’s life is a great example of how we should live our lives. But how can all this tie into Lent in 2020?
Today in 2020, we are persecuted for our faith too. We don’t face the same degree of persecution that St. Patrick faced, but it is truly there. Our friends might make fun of us or exclude us just because we are Catholic. This Lent, I challenge you to stay true to God and pray for those who persecute you. Lent is also about resisting temptation, just like Jesus did in the desert, which is why we give something up for Lent. It is not easy to resist temptation and stay true to our Lenten promise, which is why it is also called a Lenten challenge. When you face temptation, remember how St. Patrick dealt with temptation and try to resist it. Be like St. Patrick and banish those snakes of temptation out of your life this Lent. If you find yourself struggling this Lent, I challenge you to pray the breastplate prayer of St. Patrick. The breastplate prayer, or The Lorica, is a reminder that we should fight all challenges in our lives with prayer. The section of the breastplate prayer that I challenge you to pray this lent is the following:
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in the hearts of all that love me,
Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger.
-Xander, Class of 2023
Music: Kathrin by Sascha Ende
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/430-kathrin
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
