St. Patty's Day is almost here

I LIKE St. Patrick's day.  Notice I didn't say love.  It seems to me that some people are just obsessed with March 17th, and they look forward to it for months.  I just haven't ever been into the whole green clothes, green beer, green teeth thing.  There have been many times I haven't even known it was St. Patty's day until I was pinched.  So, today at work, we got to talking about the 17th and our plans, etc.  I asked if anyone knew why we acknowledge the day.  No one could really give a good answer other than celebrating Irish heritage.  So, curiosity got the best of me and I did a little research.  Here it is in brief: St. Patrick (b. 387) was among the first Christian missionaries in Ireland.  After escaping slavery in Ireland, St. Patrick studied the priesthood in Britain.  Following his ordination as a bishop, he returned to Ireland to share the gospel.  In his message, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the trinity.  He devoted his entire life to preaching the gospel while having to live in poverty and endure much suffering. He died in Ireland on March 17, 461. 
So, there you have it.  March 17th is not about green beer, silly clothing or getting drunk.  What has become one of the most popular drunken days of the year was originally meant to be a celebration of the life of a pious man and his love for Christ.  (Not to get on my soapbox, but with all these people trying to make the Christmas season into Happy Holidays...let's hope the day we are supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ does not take this turn.)
If you are going to celebrate this Saint, make it be only a beer or two, and send a toast and prayer of thanks up to those missionaries who have gone before us and lead the way so that we may be able to know the love and goodness of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.