Today is the feast day of St. Patrick, the apostle of Ireland. As a young man, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave. When he became free, even though he was originally from Great Britain, he decided to stay in Ireland. He became a priest and worked tirelessly to convert the local people to Christianity. He was successful in his endeavors and was later appointed bishop of Ireland.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to forgive our debtors as he had forgiven us our many debts or sins. St. Patrick also had many opportunities to forgive his enemies and he did. That is why he was an effective preacher; he practiced what he preached. Let us imitate the faith and endurance of St. Patrick, the apostle of Ireland.
