Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
Most people know St. Patrick thanks to a day filled with all things green and Irishness, but do you really know the man behind the day? His story is a pretty inspiring one!
☘️St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland.
☘️Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t Irish. He was born around A.D. 375 in Britain, probably somewhere in Scotland, though the exact date and place are unknown.
☘️According to several sources, he is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He was probably partly responsible as well for the Christianization of the Picts (an early Scottish people group) and Anglo-Saxons.
☘️When he was 16, St. Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland to herd and tend sheep.
☘️After six years in captivity, he escaped after having a dream sent by God, telling him to leave Ireland by going to the coast where he would find a ship waiting to sail to Britain.
☘️He later became a priest and a bishop and is known for two short works: Confessio and Letter to Coroticus.
☘️In Confessio, he tells about a dream sent by God. In it, he was given a letter with the heading “The Voice of the Irish.” He heard the Irish people calling out to him to come back to Ireland and walk once more among them.
☘️After overcoming doubts, and motivated by a deep sense of purpose, he returned to Ireland, where he preached and converted people for 40 years, amid opposition and formidable difficulties—not a small accomplishment, given the circumstances at that time.
☘️His Letter to Coroticus was a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians.
☘️According to legend, He used the shamrock to help explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to unbelievers.
☘️ I’m not sure where the green beer, leprechauns, and pots of gold fit into St Patrick’s story 😂! Sometimes what we think we know has nothing to do with what is true. 😉
St. Patrick’s life was guided by a strong sense of divinely inspired purpose. Some pretty significant icky moments and obstacles didn’t appear to get in the way of what God asked him to do. I admire people who know their purpose in life!
Enjoy your day and get your green on in honor of St. Paddy!
☘️💚☘️💚 ~ liz
