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Saint Patrick (San Patricio)
In
Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo, the Catholic saint St. Patrick is often
associated with Damballah Wedo. In Dominican Voodun, he is also associated with
Damballah.
Serpents are an emblem of Satan and sin. They are frequently depicted in
Christian art as the first tempters to appear in that form to our first parents
in Eden. On the other hand, a serpent twined around a cross is an emblem of Our
Lord, recalling the brazen serpent which Moses erected to cure the Israelites in
the desert.
His colors: White/Blanco, Verde/Green
His feast day: 17 Marzo/March. Popularly known as St. Patrick's
Day, this day is believed to be St. Patrick's death date and is the date
celebrated as his feast day.
Saint Patrick was a Christian
missionary and is the
patron saint of
Ireland along with
Brigid of Kildare and
Columba. Patrick was born in
Roman Britain. When he was about sixteen he was captured by
Irish raiders and taken as a
slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before
escaping and returning to his family. He entered the church, as
his father and grandfather had before him, becoming a
deacon and a
bishop. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary,
working in the north and west of the island, but little is known
about the places where he actually worked and no link can be
made with Patrick and any church. By the eighth century he had
become the patron saint of Ireland. The Irish monastery system
evolved after the time of Patrick and the Irish church did not
develop the diocesan model that Patrick and the other early
missionaries had tried to establish. The available body of
evidence does not allow the dates of Patrick's life to be fixed
with certainty, but it appears that he was active as a
missionary in Ireland during the second half of the
fifth century. Two letters from him survive, along with
later hagiographies from the seventh century onwards. Many of
these works cannot be taken as authentic traditions. Uncritical
acceptance of the Annals of Ulster (see below) would
imply that he lived from 378 to 493, and ministered in modern
day northern Ireland from 433 onwards.
Two
Latin letters survive which are generally
accepted to have been written by Patrick. These
are the Declaration (Latin:
Confessio)
and the Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus
(Latin:
Epistola).
The Declaration is the more important of
the two. In it Patrick gives a short account of
his life and his mission.
The reputed
burial place of St. Patrick in Downpatrick
This image has been released by the copyright holder into the public domain.
St. Patrick is said to be buried under Down Cathedral in
Downpatrick, County Down alongside St. Brigid and St. Columba,
although this has never been proven. The Battle for the Body of
St. Patrick demonstrates the importance of both him as a
spiritual leader, and of his body as an object of veneration, in
early Christian Ireland. The Legend of St.
Patrick
Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing
snakes from the island, though post-glacial
Ireland never actually had snakes; one
suggestion is that snakes referred to the
serpent symbolism of the
Druids of that time and place, as shown for
instance on coins minted in Gaul (see
Carnutes), or that it could have referred to
beliefs such as
Pelagianism, symbolized as “serpents”.
Legend also credits Patrick with teaching the
Irish about the concept of the
Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a
3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the
Christian
belief of 'three divine persons in the one
God' (as opposed to the
Arian belief that was popular in Patrick's
time). Whether or not these legends are true,
the very fact that there are so many legends
about Patrick shows how important his ministry
was to Ireland. Some Irish legends involve the
Oilliphéist, the
Caoránach, and the
Copóg Phádraig. During his evangelising
journey back to Ireland from his parent's home
at Birdoswald, he is understood to have carried
with him an ash wood walking stick or staff. He
thrust this stick into the ground wherever he
was evangelising and at the place now known as
Aspatria (ash of Patrick) the message of the
good news took so long to get through to the
people there that the stick had taken root by
the time he was ready to move on. The 12th
century work
Acallam na Senórach tells of Patrick
being met by two ancient warriors,
Caílte mac Rónáin and
Oisín, during his evangelical travels. The
two were once members of
Fionn mac Cumhaill's warrior band the
Fianna, and somehow survived to Patrick's
time. They traveled with the saint and told him
their stories.
St. Patrick's Blue
The Irish Presidential Standard,
a flag used by President of Ireland since 1945,
officially shows a golden Clàrsach
(Gaelic harp) with silver strings on a
background of St. Patrick's Blue.
This image has been released by the copyright
holder into the public domain.
St. Patrick's Blue refers to a blue, often but not always dark blue,
associated with St. Patrick. Although often depicted in green bishop's robes and
mitre today, before the 20th century the saint was more often shown wearing blue
garments. This same blue can be seen on ancient Irish flags and on the uniforms
the Irish special forces wear to this day.
St. Patrick's Day Green
 The
shift from blue to green in Ireland is thought to have begun in the 1750s.
Green, the color most widely associated with Ireland, Irish people, and St.
Patrick's Day in modern times, may have become gained its prominence through the
phrase "the wearing of the green" meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing.
At many times in Irish history to do so was seen as a sign of Irish nationalism
or loyalty to the Roman Catholic faith. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a
three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish.
Prayers of St. Patrick
Saint Patrick's Breastplate
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
Prayer for the Faithful by Saint Patrick
May the Strength of God guide us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Angels of God guard us.
- Against the snares of the evil one.
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Grace, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and forevermore. Amen.
Saint Patrick Prayer
God our Father, you sent Saint Patrick to preach your glory to the people of
Ireland. By the help of his prayers, may all Christians proclaim your love to
all men. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Prayer for God's Protection and Christ's Presence
As I arise today, may the strength of God pilot me, the power of God uphold me,
the wisdom of God guide me. May the eye of God look before me, the ear of God
hear me, the word of God speak for me. May the hand of God protect me, the way
of God lie before me, the shield of God defend me, the host of God save me. May
Christ shield me today...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, Christ when I stand, Christ
in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who
speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears
me. Amen.
St. Patrick's Day Images
This image is in the public domain in the
United States.
A depiction of a
Leprechaun of the type popularized in the 20th Century.
Copyleft: This
work of art is free; it can be redistributed and modified according to terms of
the Free Art License.
A leprechaun
counts his gold in this engraving circa 1900.
This image (or
other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has
expired.
A cluricaun with
a jug of wine. The cluricaun is often confused with the leprechaun.
Image from Croker, T. C. (1862) Fairy Legends and Traditions
of the South of Ireland.
This image (or
other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has
expired.
- Images
-
Gallery of images of Saint Patrick [25 images, 541
kb]
About the Author:
Denise Alvarado is a mystical artist and freelance writer specializing in
wellness,
self-improvement, Native American issues, cultural psychology, and
metaphysical concepts. Visit her
website,
http://www.mysticvoodoo.com to view her gallery and for free articles on a
variety of topics.
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