St. Patrick's Day Encouragement for Ministers
If I be worthy, I live for my God to teach the heathen, even though they may despise me St. Patrick Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." Luke 5:5 St. Patrick's day is an interesting phenomena. It began as a sincere way to honor a medieval Christian Priest who helped to introduce Christianity to Ireland. It was slowly reframed to be a opportunity to celebrate Irish nationalism and the influence of Irish heirs all over the world. It is now devoid of its Christian roots and nearly desolate of its nationalistic impulses (unless you count making everything green and wearing shamrocks as expressions of Irish nationalism). This is not an isolated process where something meant to increase our devotion to God is transformed into a self-centered celebration. This is the process of secularization that saw our primary life-motivation move from the promotion of God (na