Happy St. Patrick’s Day

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Happy St. Patrick’s Day and I hope you are all wearing green. If not – consider yourself pinched. So, who was St. Patrick? According to Irish historians, St. Patrick was born in England . His father was a deacon, his grandfather a priest. That’s right, in those days priest got married. Therefore, St. Patrick would have been raised in a Christian environment. When he was about sixteen, he was enslaved and brought to Ireland . St. Patrick was held captive for six years as a sheep herder. While in captivity, he prayed daily and his faith grew strong. After six years he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home. Soon after, he returned to his family in England . A few years later, St. Patrick had another vision, “I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland . His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: ‘The Voice of the Irish’. As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: ‘We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us’.” So St. Patrick returned to Ireland to mission to the pagans of Ireland . Not much is known of the life of St. Patrick in Ireland except that he baptized 1000s, ordained numerous priest, and helped expand the fledgling Christian Church in Ireland . Today’s gospel message (Luke 18:9-14) tells us that “the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” We are called to humble ourselves before the Lord. We do not need to brag to the Lord, for he knows our accomplishments. Our accomplishments are but graces from God. He wants us to be contrite for our sins; to humble ourselves before him and admit that we are sinners. In the parable of the gospel, Jesus tells of two people who went to the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. When the Pharisee prayed, he said “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector.” The tax collector, humbled by the presence of God, cannot even lift his eyes to the Lord and he declares that “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” It is easy for us to beat our chest about our holiness, but is difficult for us to lay prostrate and humble ourselves about our sins. Jesus tells us that the tax collector went home justified and the Pharisee did not. It is easy for us to take credit for the graces God give us, to declare them of our own doing, and it is easy to lay blame for our faults on others. However, if we do not accept responsibility for our sins, how can we be forgiven? Offer up your sins to the Lord and remove the weight from your shoulders. “Merciful and compassionate is the Lord, your God, and he will not turn away his face from you if you return to him.” (2 Chronicles 30:9) When asked, St. Patrick humbled himself and returned to Ireland to do the work of God. What is God calling you to do? Have you humbled yourself? Take time to examine you conscience today. Listen to the Lord for he is calling. Today is the first day of the second half of lent. Before we can enter into the gates of heaven, we must begin our walk. The first step in the walk is to admit that “I am a sinner.” Cry out to God, he will answer. “Let us return to the Lord. He will bind our wounds. We will live in his presence.” “He will come to us like the rain, the spring rain that waters the earth.” (Hosea 6:1-3) A Simple Prayer “Father, I have sinned against heaven and you. With a contrite heart, I admit that I have failed. Forgive me, Father, in your mercy. In your great love, welcome me again as one of your children.” Yours in Christ Michael Marcon