I have always understood St. Patrick's Day to be an Irish Immigrant's Thanksgiving. It is as if the endless toasts and the food not native to Ireland were ways of offering thanks to their patron saint for interceding for them and delivering them safely to new shores and new opportunities. Let's be honest, the saint himself was not known for the antics on display each March 17th from 6am to close.
St. Patrick was known for praying over 100 times a day. That is a worthy goal. In his time Lent was celebrated with no meat at all, and every day was a fast. This meant that at the time of his death, his diet was sparce and his prayer life was at its most intense. That is how I want to celebrate the saint, with prayer and joyful fasting. I want to wear my Irish colors and eat my potatoes, my Irish soda bread, and my fish, and pray all day long.
Do not be governed by your passions but keep your desires in check. If you succumb to the enticements of base desires, you will become the laughingstock of your enemies.
Sirach 18: 30-31
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