On March 17th the world becomes a smaller place for a day. Collectively, across the globe, communities come together to celebrate Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Everything is covered in green (including rivers and beers) and people party into the night. Although this is a fun time to focus on all things Irish, we should take the time to reflect strictly on the man whose death, 1500 years ago, marks this day. There are countless legends and tales about St.Patrick, but what we truly know was what he left behind in his own words. St. Patrick’s Confession, one of the oldest pieces of literature in Ireland, can still be read today to shine a light on the life of a great man. Going into this holiday, let’s look back on his own words to see how St. Patrick’s humility, boldness, and faith shaped a nation and a legacy known around the world to this day.

Humility

St. Patrick was born in Britain between 388 and 408 A.D., but at the age of 16, he was taken away from his home to become a slave in Ireland. He had little education and by his circumstances should have never amounted to anything. Though starting as a slave boy, he grew into the greatest evangelist in Ireland. Standing up against the practices of pagan sacrifice and slavery, his name spread through the years and his fame grew, but he remained humble.

“My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers.

I am looked down upon by many.”

Though Patrick was called to change a nation, he still considered himself the lowest of all. His life was founded on the understanding that without God, he was nothing. He was raised the son of a priest but was not a believer until he was enslaved in Ireland. There, in his physical shackles, he found the Lord God that his father had talked about in his youth. This encounter changed his life.

“It was there that the Lord opened up my awareness of my lack of faith. Even though it came about late, I recognized my failings. So I turned with all my heart to the Lord my God, and he looked down on my lowliness and had mercy on my youthful ignorance.”

Through his conversion, he was faithful as a shepherd slave in Ireland for many years praying day and night. Then one night he was awoken by a voice telling him that there was a boat waiting for him at the coast. He awoke and walked across Ireland to find the boat where it was said to be. The ship was getting ready to sail back to Britain, his long lost home. He was allowed on-board, but once again, only as a slave. There, his faith guarded him, and his prayers brought miraculous food to the hungry sailors on their voyage. Upon returning to Britain he was able to escape his captors and find his freedom, something he called a miracle. His life was marked by many of these miracles, yet he never took credit for anything. Always giving the glory to Jesus, the one who saved him.

“If I am most looked down upon, yet he inspired me, before others, so that I would faithfully serve the nations with awe and reverence and without blame: the nations to whom the love of Christ brought me. His gift was that I would spend my life, if I were worthy of it, to serving them in truth and with humility to the end.”

With the knowledge of the saving life of Christ as his guide, Patrick was filled with a need to spread the love he found with others. Though a humble man, he was bold in the delivery of the gospel to all he would meet.

Boldness

Patrick was fearless in his faith. When he finally made it back to his family after years apart, they begged him never to leave again. However, he was reminded of the needs of his previous captors in Ireland. While reading a letter one day, he saw another vision; this time the people of Ireland crying for help.

“They called out as it were with one voice: “We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us.” This touched my heart deeply, and I could not read any further.”

Patrick quickly started planning his trip back but faced staunch opposition from family and friends. They could not understand why he would go back to a place that had held him captive and was hostile to the message of Christ. Patrick would not be stopped however, knowing that each moment he delayed was a moment the message of God was not being spread in Ireland. He took seriously the Great Commission of Christ found in Matthew 28: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” With Jesus’ words as his guide,  Patrick boldly went back to the place that wanted nothing to do with his message.

“In the knowledge of this faith in the Trinity, and without letting the dangers prevent it, it is right to make known the gift of God and his eternal consolation. It is right to spread abroad the name of God faithfully and without fear, so that even after my death I may leave something of value to the many thousands of my brothers and sisters.”

There was no fear of death in Patrick, but rather a fear that those in Ireland would not find the eternal life offered by Jesus Christ.

Faith

It is obvious that the foundation of both the boldness and humility of St. Patrick can be found in his faith. Patrick spent his life declaring the message of the cross of Christ. When Patrick was in the darkest place of his life during his imprisonment, he realized that the physical chains that held him were not the enemy, but rather, the spiritual chains of sin that held him in darkness. He remembered the teachings of his father of the person of  Jesus; God's son becoming man so that he might die blameless, taking the penalty of sin and death for all that would repent and turn to Him. Patrick’s life changed when he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. This did not result in an easier life, but one that was more difficult because of the call of Christ. Just as the Apostle Paul wrote to the church of Corinth, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Patrick knew whatever suffering he would face, would be replaced in eternal glory as the name of the Lord was exalted. Life with Christ led to an indwelling of peace and joy, making it impossible for his circumstances to dictate his attitude.

"I can say: Who am I, Lord, or what is my calling, that you have worked with me with such divine presence? This is how I come to praise and magnify your name among the nations all the time, wherever I am, not only in good times but in the difficult times too. Whatever comes about for me, good or bad, I ought to accept them equally and give thanks to God. He has shown me that I can put my faith in him without wavering and without end.”

He had to tell others about this new life, and because of his passion for Christ we still celebrate him today. He was willing to sacrifice his own well-being for others, knowing that all he had was a gift from the Lord, no matter how big or small. In his own words, we see how serious he was for others to experience the joy he had in Christ.

“So I shall make a return to him for all that he has given to me. But what can I say, or what can I promise to my Lord? There is nothing I have that is not his gift to me. But he knows the depths of my heart, my very gut feelings! He knows that it is enough that I desire very much, and am ready for this, that he would grant me to drink of his chalice, just as he was pleased to do for others who loved him.”

Patrick was willing to die so that others might live. Desiring to drink the chalice of Christ is a prayer that few would utter, and yet, Patrick proclaimed this without fear. This is the reason we celebrate the day of his death. Through his life, he changed the nation of Ireland, and so on March 17th, every year, we honor and remember his sacrifices.

So, as you prepare to celebrate, take into account the life of St. Patrick, the simple man on fire for Christ. Go and read his Confession for yourself. Those of you that find yourselves in a dark place, like the chains that held Patrick in Ireland, listen to his message of a new life. Those of you that know the joy that filled Patrick, learn from his actions and be bold. If just a few take up the mantle of humble, bold faith, imagine how the world might just change for the better this St. Patrick’s Day.