St. Patrick’s Shamrock
When you see a shamrock, do you think of leprechauns, rainbows, and green beer? Or do you think of green parades and Celtic music? I do. But I also think about the man behind all this, Patrick – St. Patrick, the patron saint of all Ireland (and those who are Irish at least once a year).
You probably know his story. He was born in Britain and raised as a Christian to a Roman family. Sadly, as a teenager he was taken captive by some rogues and sold into slavery in Ireland. Through six dark years of servitude his faith in God somehow became bright, and as a young man he escaped back to Britain. Able to do many things with his life, he chose to return to Ireland to share his bright faith and hope in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And so, the shamrock. Legend has it that St. Patrick used the shamrock to try to teach the Scriptural and Catholic revelation of God as Trinity. But, who knew? Apparently the teaching of One God in Three Persons is not an easy concept for pagans – or scholars – to grasp.
The shamrock was a start, but not the end. It fell short, and Patrick abandoned it. Where the shamrock analogy of the Trinity falls short – partialism (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each 1/3 God) – so do other analogies. The analogy of water, which appears as liquid, solid, or vapor is guilty of modalism (God is not three different persons, but one God in three forms). The analogy of the sun, which is a star and generates light and heat, is condemned as Arianism (the belief that the Son and the Holy Spirit are not eternal). If you re-read this paragraph you can see this is not an easy thing to understand.
Shamrocks and green beer are good (especially if one’s mind is exploding from bad analogies), but let’s not miss the point of St. Patrick’s day! The point is receiving the gracious faith St. Patrick shared: God was in Christ, reconciling the world.
Let’s join St. Patrick and not be just academic. Let’s pray, joining St. Patrick in this historic Irish prayer attributed to him. It beats bad analogies and bad beer any day.
I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.
I bind this day to me forever by power of faith, Christ's incarnation, his baptism in the Jordan river, his death on Cross for my salvation; his bursting from the spiced tomb, his riding up the heavenly way, his coming at the day of doom, I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead,
God's eye to watch, God's might to stay, God's ear to hearken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach, God's hand to guide, God's shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech, the heavenly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort 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.
I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, the One in Three,
of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word.
Praise to the Lord of my salvation; salvation is of Christ the Lord!
Article also published in the Clarence Bee, March 16, 2022