Saint Patrick
The True Story of St. Patrick
Adapted by Makala Hales for young learners from S. Michael Wilcox’s
“The Voice of the Irish”: Saint
Patrick in Ten Great Souls I Want to Meet in Heaven.
What do you think of when you think
of St. Patrick’s Day? If you are like
most people, you probably think of the color green, leprechauns, four leaf
clover, rainbows, and pots of gold.
While these symbols are fun to think about, the true story of St. Patrick’s
Day is much more grand and much more inspiring.
Although St. Patrick’s Day is
connected with Ireland and the Irish people, Patrick, or Patricius, was
actually born somewhere along the west coast of England. He was born at the time when the Roman Empire
was declining and the Romans were leaving the island of England---during the end
of the 4th Century, or about four hundred years after Christ lived
on the earth. Patrick’s father was a
Christian church leader and owned a small plot of land on which the family
worked. Because of changing leadership in the nation, it was an uncertain and
somewhat dangerous time as other surrounding nations forced their influence
upon the land. One day, when Patrick was
just 15-years-old, he was working on his father’s farm with other servants when
a band of slavers surprised them and kidnapped him. The slavers, people who stole people and sold
them as slaves, transported Patrick across the Irish Sea and sold him to a man
named Miliucc. Patrick was put to work tending
Miliucc’s herds. As he lived his long
days and nights, Patrick was very lonely and homesick far from his home in
Britain living among strangers. It was
not uncommon for him to suffer from hunger and cold in the freezing rains of
Ireland.
In his loneliness and hardship
Patrick began to turn to God. He
recognized that he had never made an effort to develop a relationship with God whom
he had heard of in his youth. Patrick
began to pray. Without scriptures or
friends, it was all he had for comfort.
As he recalled in later years, he remembered sometimes saying a hundred
prayers a day. His faith began to grow,
and Patrick felt that God protected and consoled him as a father would a
son. Even though the teachings and ways
of Jesus Christ were being lost in other parts of the world, it seems that God
had his eye on Patrick and was preparing him for a great work.
Patrick never stopped wishing to
return to his family and homeland. As he
learned to pray, he also learned to hear God’s voice. One night while he slept he heard God’s
voice. God told Patrick, “Behold, they
ship is ready.” Patrick had been a slave
for 6 years and even though he didn’t know where to go, he had faith in God’s
message. He resolved to run away from
his master. He traveled 200 miles to the
south coast of Ireland. Again, he was in
a strange place among strange people, but he felt God was leading him. He found a departing ship and asked the
captain for passage. The captain quickly
denied him. Walking away and not having
any idea about what to do, Patrick prayed in his heart. Suddenly, the captain called him back giving
him permission to sail with them. The
cargo was Irish bloodhounds headed for the continent, and within a few days,
Patrick and the crew were out to sea.
After three days, they landed on
the coast of France. All they found was
a desolated land. For 28 days they
didn’t find any person or any food.
Almost to die of starvation, some of the crew taunted Patrick by telling
him to pray to his God who was all powerful and surely he would save them from
hunger. Obviously, Patrick must not have
hid his faith from his traveling companions in the time they had been
together. Patrick told them that if they
would turn to God and pray, that anything was possible. Many of the dog traders had already laid down
to die. However, miraculously, a herd of
swine appeared and they were able to kill them and eat. Because of this, they were able to survive
until they found a town. However, it was
still a few years until Patrick made it back to his family. Some think he may have studied the teachings
of Jesus among believers on his journey.
When he was finally reunited with his family they were overjoyed, but
they could tell that Patrick was greatly changed because of his experiences and
the faith he had developed.
Patrick wasn’t home for very long
when God began to communicate with him.
Again, in a dream, Patrick saw a man he recognized from Ireland. The man brought Patrick many letters. As Patrick read the letters in his dream, he
heard the voices of Irish children, and his heart was filled with love for them. Christianity was not in Ireland, and Patrick
knew that these children would grow up without the wonderful stories of
Jesus—The Good Samaritan, The Prodigal Son, and Jesus’s Sermon on the
Mount. He felt a longing to teach the
children about Jesus, but Ireland was a place of bad memories for him, and so
he didn’t want to go back. He also felt
he wasn’t educated enough to teach well.
During the years when he would have been educated, he was a slave
without opportunity. Because of his
fears, and his lack of confidence, Patrick hesitated in responding to his
dream. God knew Patrick needed
reassurance and sent other dreams. These
dreams fostered Patrick’s confidence and deepened his love for the Irish
people. Patrick decided to return to
Ireland.
Before returning, Patrick knew he
needed to better prepare, ever aware of his ignorance. He traveled to Gaul, what is in present day
Western Europe, to learn to read, understand, and teach the doctrines of the
scriptures. Though he did learn and grow
in the gospel teaching, he did not receive much support from others in his
pursuit to teach the people of Ireland.
Ireland was uncivilized and looked down upon. During this time, Patrick also experienced a
painful betrayal. Sometime during his
youth, Patrick did something he knew was very wrong. He felt guilty and embarrassed about what he
had done. He was very troubled by his
guilt. Fortunately, he had a friend he
trusted very much and he confided his wrong to his friend who expressed
compassion. Sometime later, as Patrick
was seeking the authority to preach in Ireland, he was in a group of church
leaders. It was a very important moment
for him to be able to receive permission and support to do the work he felt
called to do. At this very time, his
trusted friend told everyone about the sin of his youth. Patrick was publicly disgraced and terribly
hurt. He was about to give up. God did not leave him though. On the very night he was publicly humiliated,
God again sent a dream. In the dream,
Patrick saw a document on which was written a message from God. Patrick knew that although others ridiculed
and hurt him, God had forgiven and accepted him. This encouraged and comforted Patrick, and he
continued his preparations. Eventually,
Patrick did receive the authority to teach the Irish people about Jesus.
Patrick gathered a small band of
fellow missionaries and once again set sail on the Irish Sea back towards
Ireland. Though he must have wondered
what it would be like to return to the land of his slavery, he was calmly
resolute in the knowledge that he was doing what God wanted him to do. In the dark of night, the little band’s small
boat landed in a quiet bay by a stream.
As they walked inland, they were met by a swineherd who ran to tell his
master of the invaders. Pirates and
thieves were common at the time. As the
Irish master approached Patrick’s small group, he was ready to slay the strangers. Yet, there was something about Patrick’s
countenance that spoke of love and compassion, and instead of slaying the
strangers he opened his home in hospitality.
There in the firelight, Patrick began his work to teach about Jesus in Ireland. The Irish Master, Dichu by name, was warmed
by the fire of Patrick’s faith and became the first of many converts to
Christianity in Ireland.
Through the years of Patrick’s
missionary service, he saw many people blessed by the good news of the gospel
of Christ, but he also suffered more hardship.
When he went to the man who owned him as a slave, Patrick intended to
repay him the price of a slave. Sadly,
the man gathered all his belongings into his house and set it on fire burning
all and dying in the flames. Patrick also
saw those he taught persecuted for their newfound faith. Though many offered him gifts, time and time
again, Patrick accepted none of them striving to live a humble and devoted
life. He continued to feel inadequate
with his words, but his courage was never questioned as repeatedly he
exemplified his faith in Christ against opposition.
His many years of service to the
Irish people continued to deepen his love for them until the boy from Britain
became more Irish than the Irish. He saw
the people of Ireland as his brothers and sisters. He became so much a part of Ireland and its
people that repetitively in his writings one can find the phrase, “we are
Irish.” He considered himself one of
them. Though he missed his home, and
from time to time wished to visit, he never left Ireland again. He was assured that Ireland was where God
wanted him.
Patrick died in the year 461. In parts of the world this time has come to
be known as the Dark Ages. However,
during this dark time in the world, Patrick brought light to Ireland. Ironically, the unlearned boy who lacked
confidence in his own education brought literacy to Ireland. The Irish readily took hold of words and
scholarship. Places of learning sprang
up all over Ireland. In the years
following Patrick’s life, the Irish ended up spreading the gospel message back
across Britain and Europe. Amazingly, the
learned, holy men of Ireland had a dominating world influence for a few
centuries before Ireland was wiped out by the Vikings.
St. Patrick’s life has many lessons
for us today. What do you learn from
Patrick’s life?
Do you turn to God in prayer? About what do you pray? Have you learned how God speaks to you?
If you were on a ship with
strangers, would you hide your faith or would you be bold enough to live and
share your faith so that others couldn’t overlook it?
Patrick was willing to return to a
land where he had been treated very poorly because he had faith that it was
what God wanted him to do. What are you
willing do because you know how God wants you to act?
When Patrick knew what God wanted
him to do, he went to great lengths to prepare for his work. What preparations are you making for the work
you know God wants you to do?
Patrick forgave those who had treated
him poorly and even betrayed his confidence.
To whom could you extend forgiveness?
Patrick was courageous in doing
what he knew to be right even when it was unpopular and could put him at
risk. When is a time you have chosen to
do what is right even when it was unpopular?
Patrick forsook his home and family
with the promises of God to serve Him.
What are you willing to forsake (give up) for the promises of God?
Comments
Post a Comment