MARCH 17

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Today is a day of great celebration for many – a day of national pride for many Irish. However, that is not the primary or traditional reason St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in my family.

Today – MARCH 17 – is my Nana’s birthday! And although she passed away when I was 10, I love her every bit as much today as I did then.

When I was growing up in Boston, MA … March 17^th was a local holiday

My mom use to tell me we had the day off from school because we were celebrating my Nana’s birthday. And I remember thinking, ‘My Nana must be something pretty special for them to shut down the whole city.’ I think I was in third grade  before I found out the truth. 

I guess technically my Mom was not lying – that is why she celebrated March 17^th.  However, she also – as a tradition – incorporated some very Irish traditions: We always had corned beef, potatoes, carrots and cabbage for dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. It is what we are having for dinner in my house tonight. And, I also have some Irish Soda Bread. Yum!

Not all traditions are bad. However, the true message of St. Patrick’s Day often gets lost in all those traditions. It is frequently overlooked the fact that St. Patrick was taken to Ireland as a slave and eventually played a substantial role in carrying the gospel to the Irish people.  A slave turned missionary  … that is noteworthy.

Interestingly enough, this aspect of St. Patrick’s Day is more aligned with the celebration of my Nana’s birth and life. She was an amazing woman of God! She loved her husband. They were married over 50 years and did not separate until she went home to heaven. She loved her children, she consistently provided for her family, always extended a helping hand to neighbors and established a firm foundation of faith for her family and grandchildren. This legacy of faith has continued – the roots which she established continue to grow, bearing fruit in the lives of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren to this day.

A LEGACY OF FAITH –

Faith in the One True and Living God,

Facilitated by the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ,

And empowered by the Holy Spirit;

That is something to celebrate!

Therefore, in the tradition of honoring my grandmother and honoring the memory of St. Patrick, I leave you with this:

A Prayer For You ...

 Praying You Have a Blessed Evening!