Driving Out the Snakes – Reflection by Dave Sotelo

Today the Church celebrates the life of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick.  St. Patrick was a missionary and bishop who was kidnapped at young age by Irish riders.  The Saint later escaped slavery and returned to his homeland.  Eventually, St. Patrick went back to Ireland to convert the pagan island to Catholicism.

There have been many legends written and passed on about his life. One of them claims that Saint Patrick drove snakes out of Ireland. The reason why this legend became associated with him is because in the Bible, snakes often represent evil

During Lent, the Church invites us to look within ourselves and drive out the things that keep us from encountering Christ’s love. We must look within our hearts and, like St. Patrick, drive the “snakes” out that hinder us from devoting our life to the service of Christ’s love.

Dave Sotelo is a seminarian at Conception Seminary studying for the Diocese of Wichita. He is passionate about photography, videography, nature, and tea.