St. Patrick

On this fine day each year, we celebrate the death not the birth on one of the greatest Saints in the Catholic liturgical year. St. Patrick of Ireland.

"In Christian parlance, a saint's birthday is not the day of his earthly birth but the day of his new birth into heaven. After 30 years as bishop of Ireland, Patrick died on March 17, 461AD." And why does the world celebrate this day with such vigor? It seems that after 1,550 years, Patrick and his life in Ireland gives those of Irish descent and those who wish they were Irish great cause to pause and celebrate the enduring story of this remarkable man in this remarkable country. For St. Patrick not only drove the snakes out of Ireland but also drove the Devil out of Ireland. Read on.

First of all, Ireland is the land of stories, myths and music. Famed mythologist Joseph Campbell told a story about an American delegate from New York who stopped a Shinto priest in Japan and said to him, "I've been to many of your ceremonies and have seen quite a few of your shrines. But I don't get your ideology. I don't get your theology." The Japanese priest paused as though in deep thought and then slowly shook his head. "I think we don't have ideology," he said. "We don't have theology." he added. "We dance" he concluded. For Campbell, mythology and the stories of such are "the songs of the universe and the music of the spheres." Campbell may have been talking about Ireland. Ireland is a treasure trove of stories and music. There is no better place on earth where this embrace of the song and of the dance is more profound than in Ireland. Here's a doozie of a story for you on the legend of St. Patrick on his day.

One day in Ireland, Bishop Patrick was making the rounds in the countryside preaching the gospel. He met a man named, Gara, a horse breeder, a worthy occupation for any Irishman. Gara told Patrick about a mountain in northern Tipperary near the town of Templemore. The locals today know it as "The Devil's Bit". Gara told Patrick that inside the mountain, in a cave, lived "a great force of evil." This force created all sorts of discord and mayhem on the island. Patrick without hesitation said, "He'll flee the word of God. I'll confront him." Gara told him to take the young drummer boy with him "you'll find him useful". So off Patrick went with only a boy drummer in tow to have a sit down with "the evil one."

After days of a great walk over tough terrain, Patrick and the drummer boy arrived at the entrance to the evil one's cave. Meeting Patrick and the boy at the entrance of the cave was "the smell of hell." The smell was acrid and debilitating. Suddenly, Patrick heard hissing noises. Snakes. One sprung and attacked Patrick. In mid-flight, Patrick grabbed the lunging snake and dashed its head against the wall of the cave and flung it away. A second huge snake attacked Patrick. Again, Patrick courageously grabbed the slimy snake and flung it far down the mountainside. ("As legend has it, that second snake survived and slithered off and told other snakes to leave Ireland...it is far too dangerous for snakes. And there have been no snakes in Ireland since.")

Finally, through the smoke and darkness of the cave, Patrick sees the evil one. The sacred meets the profane. Conversation ensues. Good versus evil that sort of thing. Patrick tells the beast, "I give people hope." The beast retorts, "I give people enjoyment for their sins." and so forth... At that moment, the evil one seals the cave from Patrick's advances. An invisible but impenetrable shield protects the entrance. Patrick is stymied. All of a sudden, the little drummer boy starts rapping out a heartbeat powerful rhythm on his drum. Patrick recites the "Breastplate" chant. The evil one...the Devil can't tolerate the drum beating, the music and the chanting any longer. The shield collapses. The devil flys past the startled Patrick and dumbfounded drummer boy. Patrick gives pursuit of the evil one along the mountainside.

Patrick giving chase to the Devil grabs his tail but it is too hot to the touch and lets go. But the Devil's escape path is blocked by Patrick. In a desperate move to get away from Patrick, the Devil bites off a huge chunk of the mountain and carries it off in his mouth. He then escapes and flys away through the new gap in the mountain. Patrick astonished, lost his advantage.

Moments later, as the legend grew, the Devil loosened its grip on the boulder in its mouth and dropped the boulder to the ground which became the Rock of Cashel, the most famous site in Ireland. To this day, the Irish say, that if you put the Rock of Cashel into the gap of the mountain now known as "The Devil's Bit", it would be a perfect fit. Thus adding some credence to this rich Irish legend.

Knowing that the Devil lost his fight with St. Patrick in Ireland, he left Ireland by changing his shape to a gentleman and boarded a ship from Waterford and headed for England...where he lives to this very day.

In Frank Delaney's brilliant book, Ireland, he writes: "And that's the story of how St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland forever and banished the Devil to England. Some people say that explains why there has been such trouble between England and Ireland. The Devil stirs it up."

So wherever you might be on this fine day, enjoy a pint, toast brave St. Patrick and say a prayer for Ireland. The Devil is never too far away.