Latin liturgy fills parishioner’s souls with God while green buds push through melting snow.

Spring is near and with it Easter.

But first, Lent, a denouncement of luxury in preparation for the springtime celebration of renewal.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends Easter Sunday. This atonement period starts with a feast, an annual celebration of a Saint, before the prescribed penance.

Saint Patrick is largely credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland before he died in 461. Saint Patrick was never canonized and is basically a grandfathered Saint.

The celebration of Saint Patrick has its beginnings as a feast.

Full disclosure, I am part Irish; not that I practice, but one-eight mixed is a close estimate.

Saint Patrick’s Day is a preparation for the preparation, Lent, of the celebration of Spring, Easter and green clovers help represent spring and Saint Patrick, so wear green on Saint Patrick’s Day. Humans have and will always celebrate spring in some way, and we do seem to shy away from abstinence, so it only makes sense the recognition of Saint Patrick on March 17 is the equivalent of the few days before Lent called Mardi Gras.

Like Mardi Gras, only Saint Patrick’s Day is only one day, and participants wear more clothes. Ireland is cooler than New Orleans.

So really, Saint Patrick’s Day has its origins long before Patrick brought Christ to Ireland and drove out the druids, eh snakes.

Whatever your nationality and whatever your favorite color or preferred drink, get out and celebrate spring. Get out today and ride a bike, go backpacking in the woods, practice yoga in the grass or drink green beer to your heart’s content. Recognize the long dreary winter is passed in whichever way you like. Saint Patrick belongs to everyone.

What they say about everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day has some truth to it. Maybe instead of all celebrants on Saint Patrick’s Day having a little Irish in them, they all have a little Saint Patrick in them.