St. Patrick's Day

Matthew 28:16-20 (NLT)
16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus after His resurrection told the remaining disciples to go to Galilee. In faith they went even through some were weak in their faith and doubted. Jesus appears to them as He said He would and gave them what is known as the Great Commission; they were to go out into the world to make new disciples, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to teach them what Christ had taught them. Jesus gave them assurance he would always be with them.

St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday celebrated on March 17th. It is a day many have associated with wearing the color green, which originally referred to wearing a shamrock. The shamrock was supposedly used by St. Patrick to explain the Holy Trinity. God is represented in the Holy Trinity as one, but also three distinct individuals – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So the entire shamrock was used to show the unity of a Godhead and the three separate leaves was used to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Whatever attributes and power God the Father has, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have as well. Thus, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are also eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, infinitely wise, infinitely holy, infinitely loving, and omniscient. St. Patrick used this illustration to help explain God, Christ and the Holy Spirit to the pagan Irish. In doing so he was able to win many over to Christianity. Isn’t it comforting to know that the Holy Spirit is always with you, which means God the Father and God the Son is always present with you too?