The Real Magic of Saint Patrick's Day

Although it's not an official holiday, March 17 is celebrated every year as being Saint Patrick's Day. It honors the patron saint of Ireland. Originally, a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into a worldly holiday. Think of this holiday, and you probably think of wearing green. You probably also imagine tiny leprechauns with magical powers. There was a real power in this holiday, and it was the man named Saint Patrick. He possessed the power to overcome evil with the goodness of faith.

Saint Patrick came into this world named, "Maewyn Succat" around 389 AD. His family were Roman aristocrats who lived on an estate in Caledonia. Even though his father Calpornius was a deacon, and Succat's paternal grandfather Potitus was a priest, Succat attended church only as a perfunctory duty.

About sixteen years later, the young Roman's advantaged life changed abruptly when he was captured by the vicious Niall of the Nine Hostages, heathen Scotti from the island of Hibernia. He was immediately sold into slavery. He suffered miserably at the hands of his new owner, a chieftain named Miliue, and his two abusive sons.

For the next six years, Succat lived a lonely, wretched existence on Mount Slemish and in the valleys around Miliue's village. His job was to look after his master's flocks. The slave boy's only outfit was a ragged tunic. His only shelter was a cave in a rocky outcrop. His only food were scraps brought up from the village.

Finally, alone and miserable, living in what he perceived to be his darkest hours, Succat turned to the God in heaven he had heard about as a young boy. He prayed and he talked to God day and night. He wrote this about the event: "The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same." I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain." Miraculously, Patrick's faith flourished.