The unknown St. Patrick

I was reading an article this morning by Edward T. O’Donnell titled “Myths of St. Patrick’s Day” and he pointed out some factoids that I already knew but some I was completely unaware of. First, most of us know that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, but do we know that he was not Irish by birth? The truth of the matter is that Patrick was born in southwestern Britain. In the 5th century the country was not known as England and you would not call its inhabitants “English” but they were Romanized Celts. What you may not be aware of is that Patrick was captured by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and taken back to Ireland as a slave. According to Wikipedia he remained a slave for six years in Ireland before returning to his family. Shortly after his return home to Britain he entered the church and was formally trained and eventually returned to Ireland as a missionary to convert his former captors to Christianity. In the book “St. Patrick: His Life and Work” by Canon G.A. Chamberlin it states; "St Patrick had been deeply wronged by the people of this land. By their hands he had been torn from his home as a child and held in slavery. But he never paused to brood over the wrongs done him or nursed the lurking grudge. He sought no revenge save the revenge of serving those who had wronged him. In the spirit of the great Apostle, he had the grace to forget those things which are behind, and to press on to the better future. In the spirit of his Master, Christ, he set himself to love those who had despitefully treated him."

There is very little know about Patrick’s ministerial training upon his return to England, however his own writings show a man who had studied the Bible extensively and knew its contents very well. This knowledge is reflected in his work known as “Confession” where he writes; "I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many." He felt a sense of the importance of his missionary work in Ireland when he wrote; “I make no false claim, I have part with those whom He called and predestinated to preach the gospel.” This detailed excerpt from “Confession” truly shows the heart of Patrick:

“I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners. And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.”

“Therefore, indeed, I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favours and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven. For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.”

Patrick goes on to say; “He himself said through the prophet: ‘Call upon me in the day of’ trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.’ And again: ‘It is right to reveal and publish abroad the works of God. I am imperfect in many things, nevertheless I want my brethren and kinsfolk to know my nature so that they may be able to perceive my soul’s desire. I am not ignorant of what is said of my Lord in the Psalm: ‘You destroy those who speak a lie.’ And again: ‘A lying mouth deals death to the soul.’ And likewise the Lord says in the Gospel: ‘On the day of judgment men shall render account for every idle word they utter. So it is that I should mightily fear, with terror and trembling, this judgment on the day when no one shall be able to steal away or hide, but each and all shall render account for even our smallest sins before the judgment seat of Christ the Lord.”

So this St. Patrick’s Day as we wear the green, and wish each other a “Top o’ the morning” and sport our clovers we need to stop and consider the testimony of the man who’s day we commemorate and ponder the God he confessed and served.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” ~ Revelation 3:20

Note: For more on the “Confession of St. Patrick” visit Christian Classic Ethereal Library