# The feast of St. Patrick
*2018-03-17*

> Bill Young reflects on the life of St. Patrick and how his famous 'Breastplate' prayer integrates a reverence for nature with a profound trust in God.

## Honoring St. Patrick

Today is Tuesday of the third week of Lent, and we honor St. Patrick. We remember all he has done for the people of Ireland, the Irish faith, and the many Irish priests and bishops who have come from there.

## Trust in God

Our reading today is from Daniel 3:40b, which tells us, "No shame will come to those who trust you." This theme of trust is central to the life of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who is credited with the conversion of the Irish from pagan practices to the Catholic faith.

## Reverence for Creation

Before the arrival of Christianity, the Emerald Isle was a region embodied with great reverence for nature and the land. St. Patrick recognized this and borrowed from what was already good and holy in the natural religion of the people. In his famous 'Breastplate' prayer, he begins by gathering strength from heaven, the light of the sun, the radiance of the moon, the speed of lightning, and the swiftness of the wind. He turns to the earth to ask for the stability of the earth, the firmness of a rock, and the depth of the sea.

## A Message for Today

After acknowledging the natural world, St. Patrick turns to God's strength to pilot him, God's might to uphold him, and God's host to protect him. St. Patrick teaches us both a reverence for the earth and how to learn from the religions that surround us. In our current multicultural and multireligious society, his message is more applicable than ever.

*St. Patrick shows us how to combine a deep respect for God's creation with an unwavering reliance on the strength of the Trinity.*