St. Patrick’s Day is widely observed, but in our time few people know anything about Patrick himself.
A statue of Patrick in County Down
Patrick was not born in Ireland, as is widely supposed, but in what is now England.
As a teenager, in about the year 430, he was captured by Irish soldiers and sold into slavery.
While enslaved, he became a zealous follower of Jesus Christ. Eventually, he escaped slavery and responded God’s call to become a missionary — to the Irish.
Later, in Ireland, he wrote this in his journal:
“Daily I expect murder, fraud or captivity, but I fear none of these things because…I have cast myself into the hands of God almighty who rules everywhere.”
A prayer by St. Patrick:
I sing as I arise today.
I call upon the Father’s might,
The will of God to be my guide,
The eye of God to be my sight.
The Word of God to be my speech,
The hand of God to be my stay,
The shield of God to be my strength
The path of God to be my way.
Amen.
| Related articles | |
| • | Patrick the Saint | Mary Cagney, Christian History |
| • | What St. Patrick can teach United Methodists | Heather Hahn, United Methodist News Service (March 17, 2011) |
| • | Patrick the Saint | Bill Potter, Circa History Guild |
