Christ With Me: St. Patrick’s Legacy
This week, not only are shades of green throughout nature awakening, but green also might have been the clothing color of choice for many on March 17th. Have you wondered why something like St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated here in the U.S.? There is quite an incredible history, and it has nothing to do with leprechauns and clovers, but rather with St. Patrick bringing the hope of Christ to Ireland.
While kidnapped and enslaved as a teenager in Ireland, he sought Christ. In his autobiography, Confessions, Patrick wrote,
“…the Lord opened my senses to my unbelief,’ so that, though late in the day, I might remember my many sins; and accordingly, ‘I might turn to the Lord my God with all my heart.’”
For six years, he prayed and opened himself to God’s love while enduring the harsh environments of slavery, shepherding in isolation and solitude. But Patrick was never alone. He escaped to his home country of England (a two-year journey). By way of dreams, his restless heart was aware that God was calling him to Ireland for a greater purpose – to be again with the enslaved, but as a free man sharing the Gospel of Truth. God moved him from shepherding on the hillsides to shepherding the hearts of the Irish people. But he wasn’t welcomed, as he explained in Confessions,
“As every day arrives, I expect either sudden death or deception, or being taken back as a slave or some such other misfortune. But I fear none of these, since I look to the promise of heaven and have flung myself into the hands of the all-powerful God, who rules as Lord everywhere.”
Most known is St. Patrick’s “Breastplate Prayer.” Seeking protection in it, he prays,
“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.”
March 17th is known to be the day of St. Patrick’s death. Many suggest that he proclaimed Christ until that day. It is said he shared with the man who enslaved him, the men he was bound to for six years, the men on the ship he escaped on, and hundreds of others for many years to come.
St. Patrick’s legacy is far more profound than the modern-day celebrations suggest. His life was marked by suffering, perseverance, and faith in Christ. His story is a powerful reminder of the presence of God to his people, the promise of heaven, and that there is purpose in hardship. As we see shades of green this season, may we also reflect on the deeper meaning of St. Patrick’s life—one of faith, courage, and enduring hope in Christ.
Jennifer Ham
Director of Communication and Public Relations
Toccoa Falls College
Reference: Voice of the Martyrs, “The Real Story of St. Patrick”. www.persecution.com/2021-03-st-patrick/