Missionary Stories | St. Patrick

 

Missionary Stories | St Patrick’s Day 

| Who is St Patrick? What is his story? + Book Recommendations

Hello Friend! It's so good to see you! <3

This Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day! I thought it would be fun to share a quick little post about this holiday. While it is fun to dress in green, to have Irish foods, talk about the little leprechaun with his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (and maybe eat some lucky charms *laughs*) this, in my opinion at least, is not what this holiday is about. 

St. Patricks day is not just a holiday. It is about a man. A really incredible man. A Christian and devoted follower of God who was a missionary. 

Something quite famous about him is one of his teachings (something that people actually believe is legend but I still like to think it is true). The teaching is simply that St. Patrick used the shamrock (a little green plant with three round leaves—a clover) to demonstrate to us what the holy trinity is. You see, God is three in one. One being in three parts. God the Father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit. With a shamrock (or clover) you can see how the plant has three parts (leaves) but is still one plant and the same. 

I always loved that and it is a picture I’ve kept in my mind for years. 

Who is St. Patrick? What is his story? 

Patrick was born around 390 A.D. to a British noble family. Right before he turned 16 Patrick and his family were at their coastal home when they were attacked by Irish pirates. Though his parents were able to escape, Patrick along with the family's workers did not escape. They were taken to sea and on their way to Ireland. 

Once there he became a slave and a herdsman. 

Patrick had lived in a Christian home but it wasn’t until he was kidnapped that he trusted in God fully and became a true Christian. In his autobiography called Confessions, he wrote “The Lord opened my senses to my unbelief, so that…I might remember my many sins; and accordingly I might turn to the Lord God with all my heart.” There his faith grew. 

One day he had a dream from the Lord telling him he will return to his home land. Then again he had another dream telling him to go see where his ship is waiting for him. At 22 he escaped. He said, “I turned on my heel and ran away, leaving behind the man to whom I had been for bound for six years. Yet I came away from him in the power of God, for it was he who was guiding my every step for the best. And so I felt not the least anxiety.”

Patrick got on the ship and they sailed away. After many days they ran out of supplies. The shipmen asked Patrick to ask his God for food. Patrick said to them, “Turn trusting to the Lord who is my God and put your faith in him with all your heart, because nothing is impossible to him.” The men turned around and found behind them was a herd of pigs and they were able to eat and gave thanks to God. 

Two years later he was able to make it home and find his parents again. Back home he studied to be a priest. One day he again had a dream, this time a man was saying the words, “The Voice of the Irish.” He seemed to hear the voices of the slaves and people he used to work with calling out to him to come back. 

He made plans to go back to Ireland where he was a captive. His parents and the church thought it was wrong for him to go. They thought the Irish people—the Druids—were not worth saving. Patrick didn’t believe that. He knew he was called by God to go to these people yet unreached by the gospel. He was called. He would go. 

He said, “I am ready and willing to give up my own life, without hesitation for his name.” Patrick was willing to be a slave for Christ and serve the same people who kidnapped him and made him a slave. 

In Ireland it was a challenge. Not everyone wanted to believe him. Some did and became Christians but many persecuted him and tried to kill him. People tried poisoning him, killing those with him, he was ambushed, and was briefly enslaved again. Through it all he never gave up his faith or convictions in God. 

While he was there, he also taught those who were willing to listen how to read and write so they could read and understand the Bible. 

He shared about Christ until his death on March 17th around 461 A.D. 

This is who Patrick was. His death is the day we celebrate St. Patrick’s day.

Endnotes 

Isn’t his story inspiring?! 

I loved getting to read his story again and write this post! I love stories of missionaries and this one is so inspiring! 

I encourage you to remember what St. Patrick's day is all about. It's not just about the color green and leprechauns. It is about the life of a man who gave his life to tell the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who didn’t believe. It is a story about a missionary. It is a story about God’s kingdom growing. 

I encourage you every year to remember this story when this holiday comes around! 

Book Recommendations 

To put this post together I read: 

• Patrick: God’s Courageous Captive (the courageous series book 4 with VOM) 

• Hero Tales volume III by Dave & Neta Jackson 

I’d also recommend…

• Hero Tales series by Dave & Neta Jackson 

• Confession of Saint Patrick (I haven’t read this but it’s on my tbr)