March 17: Saint Patrick / San Patricio

As an eighteen-year-old, St. Patrick found himself in a tragic condition. He was a slave, far from home, and made to herd animals out on a cold mountainside in Antrim in Ireland. Although not free, he had plenty of time for looking at nature and somehow it was there that he encountered God for the first time. His father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest, but as a youth St. Patrick had not bothered with religion while growing up in the comfort of Roman Britain. Only after his life was turned upside down by Irish slave-raiders did he find a new depth in his heart. Whatever it was about the land and scenery of Ireland, it produced a mystical spirit in him, nature became the sacrament of the presence of God. Maybe it was the barren mountains, or the awesome beauty of the coastline, or the turning of the seasons. For whatever reason, he learned to treasure the beauty of the land, and realize that God was very near.

After being graced with many years, St. Patrick prayed often for God’s holy people. Let’s pray for each other on his feastday: “May you recognize in your life the presence, the power and the light of Christ. May you realize that you are never alone, for He is always with you; that your living soul connects you with the rhythm of the universe. And may the road rise up to meet you and the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rain fall soft upon your fields. And, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

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Celebramos hoy la Fiesta de San Patricio, Santo Patrón de Irlanda. Él es conocido por su humildad y piedad. Su amor, devoción y confianza en Dios es un ejemplo que podemos seguir no sólo el día de hoy, sino durante todo el año. Incluso en las condiciones más desesperadas y peligrosas, no pensaba en nada más que en obedecer a Dios y compartirlo con cualquiera que quisiera escucharlo.

El poema “La Coraza” se atribuye a San Patricio y muestra su fe en el Señor: “Cristo esté dentro de mí, Cristo detrás de mí, Cristo delante de mí, Cristo a mi lado, Cristo para ganarme, Cristo para consolarme y restaurarme, Cristo debajo de mí, Cristo sobre mí, Cristo inquirió, Cristo en peligro, Cristo en los corazones de todos que me aman, Cristo en boca de amigo y extraño.”

Al celebrar la Fiesta de San Patricio, esforcémonos por encarnar el ejemplo de humildad y valentía que mostró a lo largo de su vida. En su Confessio, San Patricio escribió sobre su agradecimiento porque Dios llamó a un pecador indigno como él para compartir el Evangelio.