Tuesday, March 17, 2009

HISTORY OF SAINT PATRICK

Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and the Apostle of Ireland. He was born around 385 AD near Dumbarton in Scotland the son of a Roman nobleman. His real name is believed to have been Maewyn Succat; his baptismal name is Patricius. He was just 16 when his village was attacked. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland where he worked as a shepherd. After six years of being beaten and treated poorly, he escaped to Gaul (present day France). He returned to Ireland as a missionary where he is credited for converting the population to Catholicism.

Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since

The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

WE WONDER WHY OUR COUNTRY IS GOING DOWN THE TUBES...

We wonder why our young people are so messed up. Well how about this...
We had a President that was a liar and covered up a break-in. We had a President who had sex in the Oval Office, one of the highest most respected places in the land. We had a President who didn't know how to communicate to ordinary people, and a bias news media that picked him apart until most everyone hated him. We have a congress that rarely show up for work and vote them selves whatever pay raise they want. We have congressmen that cheat on their taxes, and get hired by our President to be an authority figure. We have Priest's that molest children, and the church covers it up. We have churches that accept abortion, gay life styles, gay ministers, and gay women pastors. We have a drug war we can't win, illegal immigration that no one seems to care about, cities that forbid law enforcement to report illegal citizens, and everyone wants free health care. We have banks that have failed due to evil greed. We have 70% of the population who call themselves Christian's but don't believe the Bible is the true Word of God, and say there are many roads to get to heaven. We have television shows, movies and music that scream pornography. We have no justice in our courts. We have kids having kids and no way to support them. Our science messes with stem cell research and can now create their own babies. We have children with sexually transmitted diseases in the 8th grade, and they are not ashamed of it. They have sex in the bathrooms and under the desks. We have many people with no or little conscience.. We have adults that keep buying things they can't afford to pay for, and think it's OK. Oh, but wait just a minute, I forgot they can file bankruptcy. AND now we are leaving our kids, and their kids, and their kids, with a debt they will never be able to pay. Oh! And Christians are not allowed to pray because it may offend an atheist.
AMERICA YOU SHOULD BE REAL PROUD OF YOURSELF. KUDOS TO THE LIBERALS!
May God have mercy on all of us! Stelle.