A Prayer of Gratitude for Saint Patrick’s Life
By: Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” - James 5:20
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Growing up in a predominantly Catholic area in northwestern Ohio, most of the population celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day by wearing something green to avoid being pinched for not wearing it, displaying Irish clovers, and drinking a hearty supply of green beer.
Our family didn’t really discuss, recognize, or celebrate it. We thought of it as a Catholic religious holiday that Protestants didn’t embrace. Additionally, we didn’t drink alcohol, so growing up, I had little understanding of who Saint Patrick was or why he is celebrated each year. I had never heard his life story or known how powerfully God moved through his life to bring many Irish men and women to salvation in Jesus Christ.
Saint Patrick, the Irish Legend
Saint Patrick is a legendary figure in Ireland and around the world. Some legends say he drove the snakes out of Ireland into the sea. Another claims he raised 33 people from the dead, including some believed to have been dead for many years.
Saint Patrick made shamrocks, or Irish clovers, iconic by using them to explain the Holy Trinity to pagan Ireland in the 5th century.
Born in the late 4th century as a Romano-British Christian, he became a slave, then a missionary, and eventually a bishop in Ireland. He later became known as the patron saint of Ireland for evangelizing the nation and bringing Christianity to the island.
The Real Saint Patrick
In Saint Patrick: The Real Story of His Life & Times from Tragedy to Triumph, historian and author William J. Federer writes: “Patrick was kidnapped as a boy and sold into slavery in Druid Ireland.”
Remarkably, years later, God gave him a dream that led him to escape slavery and return to his homeland. “He miraculously escaped, only to have at age 40 a divine call to go back as a missionary,” writes Federer.
In Patrick’s own essay, Confessio, he recounts another dream he had years later, after returning to Britain. In it, he received a letter headed “The Voice of the Irish.” As he read it, he says he heard the Irish calling him to walk among them once more. “Deeply moved,” Patrick wrote, “I could read no more.”
Yet Patrick hesitated. He believed himself to be unqualified and resisted returning to Ireland for a long time. Finally, though still doubtful of his fitness, he went. Despite his doubts, he answered Jesus’ call in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Once he set foot in Ireland, his hesitations fell away. He became a bold and confident messenger of the Gospel, journeying far and wide, confirming and baptizing many. Although he was chained for a time and his life was threatened with martyrdom, he did not back down.
Because he did not shrink back, writes Federer, “He confronted Druid chiefs, baptized 120,000, used the three-leaf clover to teach the Trinity, and founded 200 churches, which in the next century sent missionaries back into Europe.”
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father,
As we remember Saint Patrick today and his answer to your call to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, help us to follow in his footsteps by forgiving those who mistreated us, those who robbed us of various privileges in life, and withheld good things from us.
Lead us to let go of bitterness and resentment toward those who interfere in our lives in ways that seem to rob us of joy and fulfillment, and toward those who caused us brokenness and loss.
Like Patrick, rather than rejecting and turning away from them, fill our hearts with love and compassion towards those who caused us sorrow and pain. Give us a godly tenderness of heart towards those who do not know You, ready to pray for them and share the truth of Your Gospel with them.
With hearts of gratitude, we thank You, O Lord, for the life and godly example of Saint Patrick, who still inspires us today to forgive those who have persecuted us and to share Your love and forgiveness with them.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: K. Mitch Hodge/Unsplash
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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