Today, I saw a lot of green. One of the ladies at my work wore a funny green hat. Another young woman had to show me all the green she was wearing.
So, who was this Saint Patrick and why is this day celebrated?
Saint Patrick was born to a wealthy family in Scotland. His birth name was Maewyn Succat. At the young age of sixteen he was taken captive by Irish pirates. He was held captive and worked as a shepherd and farm laborer until he had either a dream or a vision showing him a way to escape. He traveled 200 miles to the shoreline where he boarded a British ship. He was free and traveled home.
He didn’t stay home long for during his captivity his Christian faith came alive. It was during the trials of his confinement that Christ became real. It seems oxymoronic that one’s faith would grow during times of hardship, but the Bible tells us this truth over and over.
“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this” – Isaiah 48:10
Patrick, in his new-found faith, became a priest. The Lord gave him a burden for his captors so he returned to Ireland. His goal was to see a pagan Ireland brought to Christ. Saint Patrick was a church planter. The wicked king of Ireland hated Patrick and his faith, but that did not dissuade Patrick from his mission to bring the gospel to a culture in total moral decline. The king even threatened his life, but because of God’s mercy, using Patrick as His mouthpiece, the king came to know Christ and was baptized by Patrick.
It is said that Saint Patrick converted more than 135,000 Irish people and established 300 churches.
It should be noted that Saint Patrick is not really a saint. He was never canonized by the church. Saint Patrick actually said of himself, “My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers.”
I don’t come from a faith that believes in saints. I believe we are all sinners. I believe we are all in need of God’s redemptive power. I am so thankful that God came to this young man in his darkest hour and showed him His great love. I am thankful that the sinner known as Saint Patrick was so thankful for that redemption that he risked his life to bring hope and light to the then dark country of Ireland.
Legend says that Patrick died on March 17, 461 and that for a millennium the Irish have been celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17 in honor of his sacrifice. Saint Patrick’s Day was said to have been brought to America by Irish soldiers. The first Saint Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York on March 17, 1762.
I received an article from R.C. Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries about Saint Patrick this morning. It stated this, “So we remember Patrick best not in the legends and fables and not in the ways his holiday tends to be celebrated. Perhaps we remember him best by reflecting on the “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate,” which has traditionally been attributed to him.” The breastplate was a prayer for protection and was often placed on the shields of those heading to battle.
Saint Patrick’s Breastplate points to Christ, and this is what it said:
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 down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man 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.
What an amazing testimony. Oh, that Christ would be everywhere I am and that anyone who thinks of me, who speaks of me, who sees me and hears me would think of Christ.
So, when you think of Saint Patrick’s Day next year. Don’t think about the parades, the green dye in Chicago rivers, or shamrocks. Think of a man who dedicated himself to bringing Christ to a lost country. Think of Christ, that is what Patrick would have wanted
|
   
   
|
|
Reply With Quote
