If you're Irish or have some Irish in you, you may well know what today means:  St. Patrick's Day.  Patron saint of and missionary to the Irish nation, St. Patrick came into a early medieval land dominated by various strands of Celtic religious thought and proceeded to preach and explain the Christian gospel.

     It seems that he did so rather successfully. Despite what has historically been often very deep cultural rifts among the Irish populace, Christianity is still admired and celebrated throughout the land.  God and Jesus remain important.
     One of the beauties of St. Patrick's Day is that although it is a commemoration of the saint's supposed day of death, it is on the other hand a day of tremendous celebration. St. Patrick's Day tells us that life is good, life is fun, life is joyous.  Sure, some people celebrate to excess, but it is in general done with every good intention:  life is beautiful!
     And so is, St. Patrick would no doubt add, God. Why?  As this wonderful Irish patron would say, he loves us as we are and, more important, as he knows we can, by the love and grace of Jesus, one day be.