Today is St. Patrick’s Day and since I have a soft spot in my heart for all things Irish I want to celebrate St. Patrick along with all true sons and daughters of Eire. I grew up in New York where St. Patrick’s Day meant you had to wear something green or risk getting pinched by someone for good luck. It meant singing Irish songs in neighborhood pubs along with copious consumptions of green beer if one was so inclined. It also meant my high school marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Manhattan for several, usually cold and blustery hours. In the days before slacks or pants were allowed for girls, our serge blue uniforms and beanie hats did little to keep us warm. Despite the music and festivities, it was not something we girls always looked forward to and I must confess that by the time I was a senior, my friends and I ditched the parade somewhere en route (secretly, of course) and looked for fun elsewhere. Still, the memories of the city wide celebrations are precious.

And so today when so much of the country is morose and shuttered down, I’d like to offer a glossary of some Irish lore to lighten our moods and to remember the impact of a long ago saint who preached the good news of Jesus to pagan Ireland.

St. Patrick. A fifth century missionary who was born in Britain. At age 16 he was taken prisoner to Ireland. He escaped and having become a Christian, he returned to evangelize the country. He is one of Ireland’s national saints.
Shamrock. The green three-leafed clover is the national flower of Ireland. It was supposedly used by the saint to explain the mystery of the Trinity to the pagans.
Snakes. Part of the myths surrounding St. Patrick is that he drove the saints out of Ireland. Actually, there were no snakes in the country. It may symbolically refer to Christ’s driving out of the devil from the country.
St. Patrick’s breastplate. This long Celtic hymn or Lorica is attributed to the saint and apostle and is often invoked for protection. The most familiar verse is the following.
“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye of everyone who sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.”

Blarney Stone. A limestone rock in Blarney Castle which gives the gift of gab to anyone who kisses it. Since the Irish are reputed for eloquence, wit and “blarney”, the stone may have been well kissed and often!
“Danny Boy.” A beloved traditional Irish ballad, sung by tenors of all nationalities as well as Johnny Cash! It was written in 1913 by Frederick Weatherly. It tells of a father’s sending his son off to war.
“Erin go Bragh.” Gaelic for “Ireland till the end of Time.” A declaration of loyalty and patriotism.
St. Patrick’s Day Parades. Celebration of Irish culture, food, music and wearing of the green. The largest one in the U.S. is in New York with Savannah, Georgia close behind. Every year Chicago turns the Chicago river green on March 17.
“Kiss me, I’m Irish!” Well, perhaps not for a while, social distancing and all.

And finally, I offer this lovely Gaelic blessing and wish you all – Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
“May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand”