Celebrating St Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the “Apostle of Ireland”, he is the primary patron saint of Ireland.

Patrick was never formally canonized. Nevertheless, he is venerated in the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Churches, the Old Catholic Church, and in the Eastern Orthodox Church as equal-to-the-apostles and Enlightener of Ireland.

The dates of Patrick’s life cannot be fixed with certainty, but there is broad agreement that he was active as a missionary in Ireland during the fifth century.

Saint Patrick’s Day is observed on 17 March, the supposed date of his death. It is celebrated inside and outside Ireland as a religious and cultural holiday.

According to the autobiographical Confessio of Patrick, when he was about 16, he was captured by Irish pirates from his home in Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland, looking after animals; he lived there for six years before escaping and returning to his family. After becoming a cleric, he returned to northern and western Ireland. In later life, he served as a bishop, but little is known about the places where he worked. By the seventh century, he had already come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland.

He explains that the Lord had mercy on his youth and ignorance and afforded him the opportunity to be forgiven his sins and convert to Christianity. While in captivity, he worked as a shepherd and strengthened his relationship with God through prayer, eventually leading him to convert to Christianity.

After six years of captivity he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home, and then that his ship was ready. Fleeing his master, he travelled to a port, two hundred miles away, where he found a ship and with difficulty persuaded the captain to take him. After three days’ sailing, they landed, presumably in Britain, and apparently all left the ship, walking for 28 days in a “wilderness” and becoming faint from hunger.

So, whilst we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with our Irish stew, leek and potato soup or shamrock veggie skewers; washing it all down with a pint of black velvet Guinness consider this…

If you had to walk through the wilderness for 28 days, becoming faint from hunger, not even knowing that there was a Sainthood in it for you at the end; what would you want to be wearing on your feet?

Now, far be it from us to presume, but maybe the course of history would have changed significantly if only good ol’ St. Paddy wore a comfy pair of Slappa’s for his journey.

Slappa’s Thongs weren’t available to St. Patrick, but as you can see, they are now available to us and the Anglican Archbishop, Northern Territory; he has a white, purple and of course a green pair!

So, this St. Patrick’s Day why not Wear an Advanced Australian Pair?