“Kiss me. I’m Irish!” That was the phrase on my friend‘s coffee mug. When I saw it, I thought, “I have no idea what that means, but I sure could have used that mug in high school.” Among Irish mythology, the story goes that kissing an Irish person will bring you luck. The legend originates from the Blarney Stone, which, likewise, when kissed, will bring blessings to your life. Ok, I get it. It’s all myth and fun, but it certainly fits Saint Patrick’s Day. I’ve always been a fan of this minor holiday on the calendar. My friends might say it’s because March 17th is my birthday, and there’s some truth there. However, the man, Patrick himself, for which the day is celebrated, is what drives me. While the music and myths, the castles and shamrocks are all fun, the history of Patrick is what is so profound, and we need to be reminded of him in our day again.
Yes, many legends surround Saint Patrick. Historically, though, there is little we know with certainty beyond two documents authored by the man. The first is Patrick’s own Confessions[1], a biography and testament to his faith that drips with scriptural references. The second is a harsh rebuke sent to a Roman Britton, Coroticus, who made raids on Ireland. External evidence places Patrick’s life between A.D. 390 and 460.
“External evidence places Patrick’s life between A.D. 390 and 460.”
Though Patrick is known for his life in Ireland, he was from Roman Britain. His family members were wealthy landowners. His father was a district council member and a church deacon. As the Roman Empire began to crumble, security on the western coast of Britain deteriorated. During this time, Irish raids on the land increased, and Patrick, at the age of sixteen, was taken prisoner by one of these raids and enslaved for six years. During his captivity, Patrick served as a herdsman, and in this dark season of his life, his faith in Christ became authentic and vibrant. Looking back on this trial, Patrick acknowledged in his Confessions that
“God used the time to shape and mold me into something better. He made me into what I am now—someone very different from that I once was, someone who can care about others and work to help them. Before I was a slave, I didn’t even care about myself.”
Upon his return home, Patrick gave up his father’s wealth and became a monk. Though he had a typical Roman classical education as a boy, there is little evidence that he became a serious scholar as a priest. Instead, Patrick was a man of action, focused on prayer and regimented monastic life as he rose in church leadership. At some point in his growth, he experienced dreams and visions from God. In his Confessions, Patrick records what would be the capstone dream of his former captors pleading: “We ask you, boy, come and walk among us again.” From this, Patrick believed God was calling him back to the country of his enslavement to share the love of Christ.
“Patrick believed God was calling him back to the country of his enslavement to share the love of Christ.”
Though the church leadership concurred with the meaning of Patrick’s dreams, he was merely allowed to accompany a bishop named Palladius on a trip to southern Ireland as his servant. On this occasion, Patrick showed great humility and patience in waiting for God’s perfect timing. In 431, that providential time arrived when Patrick himself was ordained a bishop after the efforts of his predecessor failed. We can assume Patrick’s thorough knowledge of the Irish language played a part in this decision.
When Patrick left for Ireland this time, he went instead to the northern and unreached parts of Ireland in what E. A. Thompson, in his book Who Was Saint Patrick?, suggests was “the first organized mission to a country outside the Western Empire.”[2] A marked difference in Patrick’s ministry was how he worked to preserve the native tongue and heritage, unlike in other lands where priests and monks imposed the customs of the British or Roman Church on local lifestyles.
As Patrick’s efforts bore fruit, he began forming monasteries, which soon became centers for society as there were no major cities in Northern Ireland at that time. Within these monasteries, monks who shared Patrick’s love for the Bible worked tirelessly to preserve and copy the scriptures. Patrick also assisted the poor, but his main drive was to convert as many Irish to Christ as possible, as he testifies in his Confessions.
“As Patrick’s efforts bore fruit, he began forming monasteries, which soon became centers for society.”
The later fruit of Patrick’s labor has many more far-reaching ramifications than most people realize. In just under a century after Patrick’s death, Christianity became well-established in Ireland, and many monks carried the gospel across the sea to unreached sections of Britain and Europe. Over time, these monks developed a serious reputation for monastic life, serious scholarship, and preservation of Scripture. The historian Herbert Kane observed,
“What is the debt the world owes to primitive Celtic Christianity? The answer is that it produced the greatest missionary effort the world has ever seen; that when Europe was overrun by the barbarian hordes, these wandering Irish saints pushed their settlements right into the heart of European heathendom . . . and not only made possible the Christianization of barbarian Europe but educated and supplied the greatest teachers down to the time of Charlemagne.”[3]
Truly, a Christ-centered hope came to the Western world because of Patrick. Today, Patrick reminds me that there is still hope for the world, even in very dark places. So, whether you’re up for green Guinness beer or some other Irish celebratory custom, let me offer a few positive things we can do modeled after the great man of faith and green, who gave his life to Christ and Ireland so long ago.
1. We can persevere.
Thinking of Patrick’s captivity and long years of waiting as a solitary monk in Britain reminds me of Joseph in Egypt. As Genesis closes, Joseph acknowledges that while his brothers sold him into slavery, he understood that God was working for good behind the veil of what could be seen. Unlike Joseph or Patrick, I’ve never been a slave, but I’ve had my hits and bruises, and I would imagine you have as well. The call is to keep trusting God and believing He will bring all the pieces together at the right time and place. In remembering Patrick, we can be encouraged to hold on and hold fast.
2. We can pray.
In his Confessions, Patrick records that when he fully surrendered to Christ, his “faith grew, and my spirit was moved, so that in one day I would pray up to one hundred times, and at night perhaps the same. I even remained in the woods and on the mountain, and I would rise to pray before dawn in snow and ice and rain.” In remembering Patrick, we can prioritize a life of prayer as something more than a last resort or functionary act before meals. Can we rise early and speak to our Lord throughout the day? Can we pray without ceasing?
“Can we rise early and speak to our Lord throughout the day?”
3. We can preserve Scripture.
We don’t have to be scholars. Patrick was not. Unlike the learned people of his day, Patrick confessed that “I write Latin as if it were a foreign language.” But Patrick took the Word of God seriously and applied it to every aspect of his life. In remembering Patrick, we can prioritize being in the Word and, thus, the Word being in us.
4. We can be purposeful about evangelism.
Patrick knew the grace of God and longed to share it with as many people as possible. In remembering Patrick, could someone, even reading this article today, choose to move to Ireland and plant a church in one of those communities that know nothing of a genuine relationship with Christ? One study showed that over 70 towns in Ireland, with more than 5,000 people, “remain without any gospel-centered church.”[4] But what about the people around us today? In remembering Patrick, we can step out of our comfort zone and share our story of knowing Jesus with those around us.
“We can step out of our comfort zone and share our story of knowing Jesus with those around us.”
5. We can live with a profound dedication to our Savior.
Patrick was fully committed to his Savior in every aspect of his life. In concluding his Confessions, Patrick reflected on his life, acknowledging that “as is the perfect truth—it was the gift of God. This is my confession before I die.” In remembering Patrick, we can be encouraged to take our walk with Christ to the next level of commitment. For us, it’s not necessarily about some specific mission or a great act of sacrifice, although it might be. Instead, it’s just about trusting God in faith and obedience and doing the next thing in front of you today for His glory.
Yes, I’m excited about St. Patrick’s Day, and I hope you will be too. In conclusion, I’ll leave you with a portion of one of Patrick’s most famous printed prayers.
Patrick’s Breastplate: Prayer for Protection
I bind unto myself today
The strong name of the Trinity:
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead:
His eye to watch, his might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need;
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, his shield to ward;
The Word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard!
“I bind unto myself today, the power of God to hold and lead.”
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself today,
The strong name of the Trinity:
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three,
Of Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation—
Salvation is of Christ the Lord!
Amen!
[1] “The Confession of St. Patrick,” The Saint Patrick Centre, https://www.saintpatrickcentre.com/st-patricks-confession.
[2] Thompson, E.A. Who Was Saint Patrick. NY: Saint Martin’s Press. 1986 p. 156.
[3] Gough Misser, “The Mission and Expansion of Celtic Christianity” in J. Herbert Kains, A Concise History of the Christian World Mission (Grand Rapids, MI Baker Books House) p.149
[4] Jonny Grant and Patti Richter, “Reaching Ireland for Christ—Again,” February 15, 2018, The Gospel Coalition, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/reaching-ireland-christ.
