Long before I knew that I had a drop of Irish blood in me, I was obsessed with anything and everything to do with St. Patrick and St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe it was because we shared a common name. Maybe it was because I was enchanted with the fairy tales about leprechauns and the luck of the Irish. Or maybe it was because it was the one day out of the year during my childhood when eating and drinking something green was not only okay but cool. Whatever the reason, I still admire this man of faith. And considering this is St. Patrick’s Day, I’d like to share some of the reasons I hold this man in high regard.
Before I do, I want to make a few things clear. I’m not going to disprove myths about Patrick or apologize for his mission work in Ireland. There are plenty of sites, including the History Channel’s website, that will debunk the legends which have crept up around the man. I’m more interested in his faith and insight about God. There are also many progressive and liberal theologians who are more then willing to apologize for the existence of the Christian faith. Again, I’m interested how this saint has inspired me not whether I should be ashamed of the Great Commission. That being said, let’s jump into the life and faith of St. Patrick.
At the beginning of his Confession, one of two of his surviving works, he describes himself to be the son of a deacon, the grandson of a priest, and one who “did not, indeed, know the true God.” That is rather astounding to me, but not because St. Patrick lived not knowing God until age 16. Rather his predicament is similar to the one in the modern Church. We often feel it necessary to reach those who are outside of the Church as if they are the only ones needing Christian love and guidance. Yet I wonder how often we ignore those within our own church walls. Think about it. Why are so many young people leaving the faith? Is it because the Church isn’t hip? Is it because it isn’t inclusive to their way of thinking? Or is it because we as the Church have failed to instill the true purpose of what it means to be a follower Christ? I have no doubt that there are broken churches that have wronged many people physically, emotionally, or spiritually. But I don’t believe that is the sole reason for why so many of those who grew up in the Church have fallen away. We’ve become so consumed with just making converts, that we forget that we need to also disciple those within the church walls particularly those who have been born to believing parents.
Yet this shouldn’t be taken as a condemnation without hope of a second chance. Even though St. Patrick lived 16 years of his life not knowing God, he did return to the faith of his fathers. God in his mercy is constantly patient with us and taking great pains to endure our follies. He is not interested in destroying us for wickedness but desires that we all be saved (Ezekiel 18:32, II Peter 3:9).
As he continues his Confession, he mentions that his grandfather had a villa, that is a rural estate, from which he was captured by Irish raiders. This would suggest that Patrick’s family was not only an important part of the religious community but also had some political and economic clout. It would be reasonable then to assume that Patrick would have some level of education available to him. Yet he often tells his readers that he wasn’t a very educated man. “I, Patrick the sinner, unlearned verily:-I confess that I am a bishop, appointed by God, in Ireland”-the Epistle. I find this rather fascinating because in both his Letter and Confession, St. Patrick speaks like someone who is not only familiar with the Scriptures but also someone with authority like Christ or the apostles did. In this day and age where experts are expected to act as omniscient masters in their fields, we are often quick to judge and dismiss those who don’t. True, it is good that those who wish to become clergymen should go to seminary and learn all that they can. However, let us not forget that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and that we are to become fools before we can call ourselves teachers of the faith (Prov. 1:7, I Cor. 3:18).
This last bit of inspiration from the life of St. Patrick is from a recent study on internal prayer. I had received this last Christmas a copy of The Way of a Pilgrim which describes a Russian pilgrim’s journey throughout his country discovering how we are to continuously and unceasingly pray. The people he often meets tell him that to pray in such a way requires the Holy Spirit to pray within him as well. The pilgrim’s readings in the Philokalia also suggest this is needed as both a sign of encouragement and a prompting to pray at all times. St. Patrick, in his Confession, relates what such an experience is like through a dream.
“And on a second occasion I saw Him praying within me, and I as it were, inside my own body, and I heard Him above me-that is, above my inner self. He was praying powerfully with sighs…But at the end of the prayer it was revealed to me that it was the Spirit. And so I awoke and remembered the Apostle’s words: ‘Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we know not how to pray as we ought…'”
This second vision came after St. Patrick had been told to return to Ireland to preach the gospel after becoming a member of the clergy. As mentioned earlier, Patrick held a low opinion of his education and was reluctant to appear as an equal of learned men. Yet through prayer and faith in God the Spirit, our very great help, he managed to overcome his weakness to accomplish the work that God had laid before him.
I hope this has been an enjoyable and fruitful post. I know St. Patrick’s Day is often overrun with stickers and buttons that say, “Kiss me I’m Irish” or over-the-top parades in places like Chicago or New York or an excuse to go to the local bar and down pitchers of green beer. That can be a lot of fun I suppose. However, I think it is good that we remember the saint and his life we are supposed to be celebrating. He wasn’t just a man with myths to tell to children. He was a man of God whose life should be honored and studied for our own benefit.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
My sources come from Christian Encounters: Saint Patrick by Jonathan Rogers which has both the Confession and the Letter in the appendices of his book. The Confession can also be seen online at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/patrick/confession.txt.
Politics and the Bible 