In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Evangelist Franklin Graham made a brief statement, reminding people about its true meaning.
In his Facebook post, Mr. Graham said that the holiday was meant to honor the life of an individual who shared Christ to the Irish people.
"I wish all who celebrate St. Patrick's Day knew the true meaning of the holiday. It wasn't established to celebrate leprechauns, the color green, or getting drunk. It was to honor and celebrate the life of a man who preached Christ throughout Ireland. His heart was focused on what matters most," Mr. Graham said.
The evangelist concluded by sharing the words that St. Patrick himself wrote, glorifying Jesus Christ in all areas of his life.
"St. Patrick once wrote these words:
"'Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.'"
St. Patrick's Day occurs every 17th of March. It celebrates the life of Ireland's patron saint who encouraged Christians in the country and converted the Irish to Christianity.
The holiday is celebrated through parades, feast, dancing, music, drinking and a lot of green - like what Graham said.
Patrick was born in Britain in the fourth century. History says that his father was a Christian deacon who probably took the role for tax incentives.
When he was 16 years old, Patrick was taken as a prisoner to Ireland by Irish raiders who attacked his family's estate. He spent several years in captivity, working as a shepherd in County Mayo, where he was believed to have been held. His solitude brought him closer to God.
After six years, a voice he believed to have been of God spoke to him in a dream, telling him to leave the island. He followed the instruction and walked 200 miles to reach the Irish Coast, escaping for Britain.
In Britain, he dreamed again and this time, an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. He trained for 15 years before being ordained as a priest. He was then sent to the island to minister to existing Christians and convert the Irish people.
In teaching Christianity, Patrick incorporated Irish traditional rituals to his Christian lessons, instead of eradicating the people's native beliefs. These include using bonfires in celebrating Easter and highlighting the sun on the Christian cross, thus the Celtic cross.
There were already a few Christians when Patrick returned to Ireland, but most of the Irish people practiced a pagan religion. Their culture is also said to have a tradition of oral legend and myth, leading people to believe that Patrick's story has been exaggerated over time.
He is known as Ireland's patron saint but was actually not canonized by the Catholic Church, since the formal canonization process was not practiced during his time.
Patrick was believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D.
