St. Patrick’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to interrupt Lent. Today we thank God for the gift of faith brought to Ireland by St. Patrick. Our national feast day helps us to reflect on who we are as a nation and to celebrate our identity. Some of the best St. Patrick’s’ day celebrations take place abroad. I spent almost 25 years out of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day was always a day I felt so proud to be Irish. What strikes us most about the story of St. Patrick’s life, are the human categories that connect our lives with his, categories such as suffering, meaning, vocation, forgiveness, mission, exile, human trafficking, redemption to name just a few. That is why St. Patrick is no plaster saint, but a fellow sinner whose life was transformed by God’s choice and mercy. Because of the response of one man to God’s call, countless lives were changed, by the gospel he shared. As it was for St. Patrick, God calls us not just for ourselves but also for others. Let us thank the Lord for this wonderful gift of faith, brought to us by St. Patrick, that has changed our lives; and let us renew our commitment of handing on this faith to the next generations.