Thursday 17th March

St Patrick (415-493 AD)

Jeremiah 1: 4-9; Psalm 106;
Acts 13: 46-49; Luke 10: 1-2; 17-20.

St Patrick could well have applied to himself the words spoken by the Lord to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” (Jeremiah 1: 4-5). His great desire was to proclaim the Gospel to the people of Ireland. He went to the west and the north where the faith had never been preached, suffered much opposition from pagan Druids, but obtained the protection of kings and made numerous converts. The rest is history. My Irish grandmother was a saintly lady and all her children were practising Catholics. I never knew her, but I thank her each day, and hope to meet her in heaven.