Saint Patrick

I love the story of Saint Patrick. My son and I watched a movie about his life last year. It was very good.
It is interesting that Saint Patrick is actually Scottish, born in Scotland. He was captured by Irish during a raid and made a slave, forced to herd and tend sheep. When he was taken Ireland was a land of the pagan Druids. During this time he learned the language and the customs of the people living there.

This was a very hard time for St. Patrick. I am sure he longed to be home, to go back to his family.
He turned to God in prayer. He wrote, "The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same." "I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

At 20 he escaped after having  a dream that told him to leave Ireland and take a ship home. At first the sailors did not want to take him but he knew it was God's will. He prayed. God opened the sailors hearts to allow Patrick on the ship.

After returning home Patrick had another dream to return to Ireland and walk among them. After studying and becoming a priest and then bishop, Patrick returned to Ireland and preached for 40 years converting many to Christianity and performing many miracles.

He used the shamrock to teach the concept of the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, just as the shamrock is one leaf, three parts so is God, one God but three Persons. I have followed his example and used the shamrock with my son, also.

Saint Patrick died March 17, 461.

Patrick was very obedient to God. May we use his example and do the same, be obedient and draw closer to the God who loves and cares so deeply for us.