SOME LESSONS FROM ST. PATRICK

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good

thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11)

This devotional is longer than usual. I hope it inspires you!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! For many, today’s an excuse to decorate with shamrocks,

pinch those not wearing green, and drink green beer—but the history of St.

Patrick and his role in Ireland merit remembrance. St. Patrick was a spiritual hero

who changed a nation as he lived out his faith.

His birth name was actually Maewyn Succat. He took on the name Patrick when

he became a priest and was canonized after his death. He was born in Old

Kilpatrick, Scotland. A raiding party captured St. Patrick when he was fourteen

and brought him to Ireland as a slave to tend and herd sheep. While there, he

prayed, grew in his faith, and learned to walk in love—instead of becoming angry,

despondent, and bitter. He became an overcomer who persevered in his trials

and tribulations.

When he was twenty years old, he escaped his captors after dreaming God told

him to leave Ireland by going to the coast. He convinced a group of sailors to take

him back to Scotland, where he reunited with his family. Despite his capture as a

teenager, Patrick felt compassion for those who enslaved him because Christ

had so completely changed his heart. Once he escaped, he could've stayed away

—but God had a different plan.

St. Patrick had another dream in which he heard the people of Ireland—who

practiced paganism at the time—calling out for him to walk among them. He

began his priesthood studies shortly after that vision and returned to Ireland as a

priest. He eventually became a bishop who was pivotal in the evangelization of

Ireland for Jesus. The shamrock is a symbol we often associate with St. Patrick's

Day—and many mistake it as the symbol of Ireland—but it's really connected to

St. Patrick, who used the clover to explain the concept of the Trinity to non-

believers.

St. Patrick knew the Irish people were mostly without hope. Ireland comprised

mostly Druids and pagans when Patrick first returned. Yet, he was able to

convert entire kingdoms to Christianity over the four decades he spent there—

baptizing over 100,000 people and building 300 churches.

There are quite a few legends surrounding the popular saint, including one that

claimed Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. Although the island nation

has no snakes, the cool climate, not St. Patrick, is likely the reason. Most scholars

believe the term "snakes" in ancient texts may refer to pagan ritual beliefs and

practices of the Druids—not the reptiles themselves.

History tells us in 433 A.D., St. Patrick was praying for God’s divine protection in

his work and ministry while facing powerful enemies in Ireland. He wrote a

prayer called St. Patrick’s Breastplate—the last few stanzas of this prayer are

widely known and recited today.

"As I arise today, may the strength of God pilot me, the power of God uphold me,

the wisdom of God guide me. May the eye of God look before me, the ear of God

hear me, the word of God speak for me. May the hand of God protect me, the

way of God lie before me, the shield of God defend me, the host of God save me.

May Christ shield me today.



"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath

me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks

of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that

sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen."

Did you notice how dependent St. Patrick was on Christ? Because of that

dependence, God heard St. Patrick’s prayer and opened the door for him to share

Christ with the Irish King Laoghaire and his subjects—and allowed St. Patrick to

be a part of bringing Ireland out of paganism’s dark hold to the saving power of

Jesus. God used him to save Ireland.

St. Patrick’s story and dependence on prayer stand as a reminder God doesn’t

waste a thing in our lives, and He often calls us to go back to places of pain and

darkness to share grace and light. Where is God calling you? Who is God using

you to save?

Bishop Jeff Greenway