Saint Patrick, the Missionary
I live 30 miles from Boston, am Irish, and yet I never knew anything about St. Patrick growing up, other than assuming he was some Irish priest who made everyone feel obliged to wear green to school.
But Patrick wasn’t even Irish – he was English. When he was 16 he was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery to the “barbarians” in Ireland where he tended sheep for his master. The years of isolation while tending sheep he spent countless hours in prayer and meditating on what he had been taught as a child.
Patrick eventually escaped, through God’s providence, and made his way safely back to his home where he enrolled in Seminary and later became an ordained Roman Catholic priest. After a number of years, God spoke to Patrick in a dream and told him to return to the barbarians of Ireland and to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ to them and teach them to live for Christ.
Patrick sold all he had and went to Ireland as a missionary. He would travel with important chieftains or pay for safe passage to ensure his safety and protection. He spent time with various tribes to learn about their particular culture (music, art, stories, etc.) in order to communicate important biblical truths in ways they would understand.
He built simple churches, baptized and trained men who had converted from paganism to Christianity, appointing them as priests for their tribes. After a church was established and priests were appointed, he would move to the next tribe and faithfully present the Good News of Jesus Christ there.
Patrick was a godly man who believed the gospel and took the Great Commission literally, to the point that he went to his former captors. His ministry played a history-shaping role in Ireland, and it was all because of his commitment to take Jesus’ promises and commands seriously. He loved his enemies, and he went to make disciples of all nations because he believed the Holy Spirit would be with him.
This is the life of the man we honor on St. Patrick’s Day every year. It is ironic that he returned to Ireland to teach them to flee their ungodliness, and on the day we “honor” him we seemingly return to the lifestyle he sought to rescue barbarians from.
If you want to honor St. Patrick this year, tell someone about Christ and invite them to repent of their sin and receive the forgiveness of sin.
More about Saint Patrick:
10 Things You Should Know About St. Patrick (Michael Haykin, Crossway)
Remember Saint Patrick (David Mathis, Desiring God)
And, of course, what’s Saint Patrick’s Day without this legendary gem:
