St. Patrick's Celebration
by DaySounds © 2021

This week, Ireland celebrates the life of her patron saint: Patrick
(Patric in Irish, Patricius in Latin). He was born to a wealthy family
circa (around) 387 A.D. ("Anno Domini"="In the Year of the Lord"), in
Roman Britannia.

According to tradition, he died in Ireland on a 17th day of March,
circa 460 A.D.--after having spent most of his adult life communicating
God's love to the inhabitants there through words and actions, to the
very people who had kidnapped him at the age of 16 and held him as a
slave for 6 long years.

His life is a real story of how God can change and use anyone who seeks
Him with all his or her heart, even in the middle of intense suffering.
It also proves, once more, the power of true forgiveness and love.

Apparently, he used a common clover plant, widely growing on the fields
at that time and edible, as an illustration to teach the concept of the Trinity
(God is one: one God, in three different persons--the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit). What clover plant? We don't know; however, it probably
was White Clover (Trifolium repens).

"repens" doesn't mean "repent"; even though, we all need to reflect on,
and repent of those attitudes, words, actions, and omissions that have
hurt others. It is the present active participle of the verb "repo, repis,
repere, repsi, reptum," meaning "crawling, creeping"; not to be confused
with the adjective "sudden," or the adverb "suddenly." "Trifolium" is a
compound word, made up of "tria"--from "tres, tria" (three), and "folium"
--from "folium, folii" (leaf).

The leaves are palmately compound. As the leaves of other "Trifolium"
genus plants, such as the "dubium," or the "pratense" species, one leaf
has 3 leaflets. That single leaf appears to be 3 leaves; however, in
reality, it is only one.

Later on, that clover plant came to be known as the Irish "Shamrock"
(little clover).

Each day during this week, families in Ireland used to read Confessio--
Patricius' autobiography, one portion at a time, around the dinner table.
Unfortunately, the celebration today has become secularized, and it is no
longer done (with a few exceptions).

In the USA, a typical dinner to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (on March 17th )
is made up of corned beef, cabbage, and baked potato....Delicious!

© 2021 DaySounds
P.O. Box 1536
Castle Rock, CO. 80104
and
PO Box 2145
Estes Park, CO 80517
USA

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