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Who Is St Patrick?

3/15/2013

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This Sunday, we celebrate St Patrick’s Day and I am reposting my blog about St Patrick from last year.

Other than shamrock shakes and wearing green, why is St Patrick recognized? St Patrick is the parton saint of Ireland. Though, widely known, much of his life is a mystery and it is difficult to determine what stories are accurate and what are legends.

Here is what we do know, from From History.com:
St. Patrick was born in Britain and lived there until he was a teenager. It is known that St. Patrick was born to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family.

At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.

To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles to the Irish coast where he boarded a ship. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)

More can be read at http://www.history.com/topics/who-was-saint-patrick

St. Patrick was named a patron saint of Ireland for the spiritual impact he made in the country that kidnapped him and enslaved him for six years.

God does extraordinary things through ordinary people that hear and obey His voice.

What can you do on St. Patrick’s Day that is a response to obeying God?

Have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!


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    Mark Radeke

    Husband of one, father of five, pastor and friend of many.

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