Author Topic: Happy St. Patrick's Day (Read 404 times)

EN4CER · « **on:** March 17, 2006, 08:20:37 AM »

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all. Please have a healthy and safe one. I have to sit this one out this year (Staying home with En4cer Jr who is 6 weeks old). Ironically the Pipeband that I instruct has the earliest step off time yet for the NYC Parade. However plenty of parades to march in the future. I am looking forward to the Tatoo at West Point in April - have to make a family affair of it.

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 17, 2006, 08:35:59 AM »

Time to get drunk! And do structural engineering...

RAIDER14 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 17, 2006, 11:09:25 AM »

Maverick · « **Reply #3 on:** March 17, 2006, 11:31:36 AM »

St. Patricks day and New Years Eve are 2 reasons I am so happy I'm not working in LE now.

Seagoon · « **Reply #4 on:** March 17, 2006, 01:02:42 PM »

Happy St. Patricks!

It's been my general experience that very few today know anything of the life of the man for whom St. Patrick's Day is named, few for instance know that he was born in Roman Britain, that he was first taken to Ireland as a Slave, or what he labored to do in Ireland. Here then is a brief outline of the life of the great but humble man who evangelized the Irish:

Patrick was born in Roman Britain, in a place he identifies in his confession as "Bannavem Taburniae" the exact location of which is now lost to us. Here is Robertson's brief outline of his life and influence:

Quote

But wherever it may have been, his birth took place about the year 387. His father was a deacon of the church, his grandfather was a presbyter, and thus Patrick had the opportunities of a religious training from 137his infancy. He did not, however, use these opportunities so well as he might have done; but it pleased God to bring him to a better mind by the way of affliction.

When Patrick was about sixteen years old, he was carried off by some pirates (or sea-robbers), and was sold to a heathen prince in Ireland, where he was set to keep cattle, and had to bear great hardships. But “there,” says he, “it was that the Lord brought me to a sense of the unbelief of my heart, that I might call my sins to remembrance, and turn with all my heart to the Lord, who regarded my low estate, and, taking pity on my youth and ignorance, watched over me before I knew Him or had sense to discern between good and evil, and counselled me and comforted me as a father doth a son. I was employed every day in feeding cattle, and often in the day I used to betake myself to prayer; and the love of God thus grew stronger and stronger, and His faith and fear increased in me, so that in a single day I could utter as many as a hundred prayers, and in the night almost as many, and I used to remain in the woods and on the mountains, and would rise for prayer before daylight, in the midst of snow and ice and rain, and I felt no harm from it, nor was I ever unwilling, because my heart was hot within me. I was not from my childhood a believer in the only God, but continued in death and in unbelief until I was severely chastened; and in truth I have been humbled by hunger and nakedness, and it was my lot to go about in Ireland every day sore against my will, until I was almost worn out. But this proved rather a blessing to me, because by means of it I have been corrected of the Lord, and He has fitted me for being what it once seemed unlikely that I should be, so that I should concern myself about the salvation of others, whereas I used to have no such thoughts even for myself.”

After six years of captivity, Patrick was restored to his own country. It is said that he then travelled a great deal; 138and he became a presbyter of the Church. He was carried off captive a second time, but this captivity did not last long, and he afterwards lived with his parents, who begged him never to leave them again. But he thought that in a vision or dream he saw a man inviting him to Ireland, as St Paul saw in the night a man of Macedonia, saying to him, “come over into Macedonia and help us” (Acts xvi. 9). And Patrick was resolved to preach the Gospel in the land where he had been a captive in his youth. His friends got about him, and entreated him not to cast himself among the savage and heathen Irish. One of them, who was most familiar with him, when there seemed no hope of shaking his purpose, went so far as to tell of some sin which Patrick had committed in his boyhood, thirty years before. It was hoped that when this sin of his early days was known (whatever it may have been) it would prevent his being consecrated as a bishop. But Patrick broke through all difficulties, and was consecrated bishop of the Irish in the year 432.

There had already been some Christians in that country, and a missionary named Palladius had lately attempted to labour there, but had allowed himself to be soon discouraged, and had withdrawn. But Patrick had more zeal and patience than Palladius, and gave up all the remainder of his life to the Irish, so that he would not even allow himself the pleasure of paying a visit to his native country. He was often in great danger, both from the priests of the old Irish heathenism, and from the barbarous princes who were under their influences. But he carried on his work faithfully, and had the comfort of seeing it crowned with abundant success. His death took place on the 17th of March, 493.

...

The Church continued to flourish in Ireland after St Patrick’s death, and learning found a home there, while wars and conquests banished it from most other countries of the West. In the year 565, the Irish Church sent forth a famous missionary named Columba, who, with twelve companions, went into Scotland. He preached among the Northern Picts, and founded a monastery in one of the Western Islands, which from him got the name of Icolumbkill (that is to say, the Island of Columba of the Churches). From that little island the light of the Gospel afterwards spread, not only over Scotland, but far towards the south of England, and many monasteries, both in Scotland and in Ireland, were under the rule of its abbot.

And if at any time I managed anything of good for the sake of my God whom I love, I beg of him that he grant it to me to shed my blood for his name with proselytes and captives, even should I be left unburied, or even were my wretched body to be torn limb from limb by dogs or savage beasts, or were it to be devoured by the birds of the air, I think, most surely, were this to have happened to me, I had saved both my soul and my body. For beyond any doubt on that day we shall rise again in the brightness of the sun, that is, in the glory of Christ Jesus our Redeemer, as children of the living God and co-heirs of Christ, made in his image; for we shall reign through him and for him and in him.

For the sun we see rises each day for us at [his] command, but it will never reign, neither will its splendour last, but all who worship it will come wretchedly to punishment. We, on the other hand, shall not die, who believe in and worship the true sun, Christ, who will never die, no more shall he die who has done Christ’s will, but will abide for ever just as Christ abides for ever, who reigns with God the Father Almighty and with the Holy Spirit before the beginning of time and now and for ever and ever. Amen.
- St. Patrick, in the conclusion of His Confession

Nilsen · « **Reply #5 on:** March 17, 2006, 01:28:13 PM »

Happy Patricks day to you all!

All of a sudden ive turned Patriligious!

Cheers

AWMac · « **Reply #6 on:** March 17, 2006, 01:48:11 PM »

Happy St. Patricks Day All.

Mac

CHECKERS · « **Reply #7 on:** March 17, 2006, 09:37:54 PM »

One day a man walked in a bar with a box. He sat down, opened the box and out popped a leprechaun. The man told the bartender, "I want a Rolling Rock and a shot of whiskey for my buddy here."

There was man sitting at the end of the bar watching all of this and, after the leprechaun drank his shot of whiskey, he ran down to the end of the bar and spit in the guy's face. Then he ran back.

The guy with the box said, "I'll have another Rolling Rock and a shot of whiskey for my buddy here."

After the leprechaun drank his shot of whiskey, he again ran to the end of the bar and spit in the man's face, then dashed back.

The guy with the box ordered another beer for himself and another shot for the leprechaun. Again, the after the leprechaun drank his shot of whiskey, he ran down to the end of the bar. But this time the man was waiting for him and he grabbed the leprechaun and held him in the air.

He said, "If you spit in my face again, I'm going to cut your donut off."

The leprechaun laughed and said, "Leprechauns don't have donuts."

Then the man said, "If you don't have donuts, then how do you pee?"

"By spitting," said the leprechaun.

Happy Saint Pat's Day ....

xrtoronto · « **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2006, 09:53:24 PM »

Cool Google Header today:

cpxxx · « **Reply #9 on:** March 19, 2006, 06:03:38 AM »

Hope you all had a good Paddy's day. I was staying with my Mom on the day so away from the PC. Too damm cold to go to a parade (it was colder in Ireland than Moscow, Iceland and NY) so just watched the Dublin one on TV and drank most of a bottle of wine. Not very traditional.

It always amazes me how many parades there are around the world. Moscow, Tokyo and all over the USA. But the shortest is in a place called Dripsey in Cork which is across the road between two pubs. That's a proper parade!

Maverick · « **Reply #10 on:** March 19, 2006, 12:59:18 PM »

What is the relevence of massive alcohol consumption and St. Patrick's day? I don't find any religious indications that it is part of the acknowledgement of a religous holiday.

nirvana · « **Reply #11 on:** March 19, 2006, 01:09:25 PM »

Irish like to drink maybe? So since it's an Irish festival, it all falls together? Not sure.

cpxxx · « **Reply #12 on:** March 20, 2006, 03:48:19 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by nirvana
Irish like to drink maybe? So since it's an Irish festival, it all falls together? Not sure.

Sadly it's true. We are now officially the greatest binge drinkers in Europe maybe the world. Or should that be the worst? Nothing religious about it. Sometimes the cliche is true.

Seagoon · « **Reply #13 on:** March 20, 2006, 03:59:27 PM »

Hi Mav,

Quote

Originally posted by Maverick
What is the relevence of massive alcohol consumption and St. Patrick's day? I don't find any religious indications that it is part of the acknowledgement of a religous holiday.

Unfortunately Nirvana and Cpxxx are essentially right. St. Paddys day has morphed into a day in which one celebrates not Patrick, but "Irishness." Unfortunately, the public conception of being Irish largely consists of getting drunk and fighting constantly. So on a day when everyone is Irish, the idea is we all wear green and get hammered and pugnacious. Unfortunately, that's how I used to observe the day when I was working in NYC (then again, I didn't really need much of an excuse to get inebriated.)

- SEAGOON

Octavius · « **Reply #14 on:** March 20, 2006, 04:03:42 PM »

the irish have officially conquered the world.