Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The Irish Blessing


The Irish are famous for many known blessings. The most popular says:

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields and, Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

This blessing is often attributed to Saint Patrick, but there is no way to know for sure.

To check out more Irish Blessings and other fun activities go to: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2328/stpatty1.htm

Who is Saint Patrick?


Saint Patrick was born in Britain near the end of the 4th century. When Patrick was 16 years old he was taken as a prisoner by the Irish. They put held him in Ireland for 6 years. During this time he was left all by himself. Out of loneliness, he turned to religion for comfort. He grew in faith and held very strong Christian beliefs. He dreamt of teaching others about his faith in hopes that they too would know God. Patrick received a vision from God telling him to escape. Once he escaped, he began studying Christianity. Patrick was instructed to convert the Irish to Christianity. After Patrick’s death on March 17th, in about 460 A.D., Patrick was named a Saint. He is now the patron saint of Ireland and is celebrated each year world-wide on March 17th.