THE REAL SAINT PATRICK

He didn’t drink green beer and never drove the snakes out of Ireland. In fact, he wasn’t even Irish or Catholic. Yet he remains one of the most influential figures in the history of western civilization. We know him as “Patrick”. He was born around 390 to an aristocratic family in England. Kidnapped at the age of sixteen by Celtic pirates, he was enslaved in Ireland for six years. During that time, he developed a deep love for God, as well as an appreciation for Irish culture and language. More importantly, he began to love the people and hope for their salvation. 

After six years God spoke to him in a dream, “You are going home—Look, your ship is ready.” He arose and somehow escaped. Traveling to the coast, he discovered a ship was indeed waiting, and welcomed him aboard. At the age of forty, he experienced a second supernatural dream. A group of Irish people called to him, “We appeal to you holy servant boy, come & walk among us.”

In 432, he returned to Ireland and began ministering in a radically new way. Prior to Patrick, missionaries followed the Roman Church pattern, requiring pagans to be “civilized” before becoming Christians. Patrick reversed the approach. His team first moved in among the people, becoming part of their culture. Over time, he gradually showed them Jesus. Their emphasis was on the church as a community, a family of believers. The Roman form was “convert- then join.” Patrick's model flipped it around. 

The Celtic missionaries achieved amazing results. During his lifetime Patrick planted over 300 churches and baptized 120,000. Following his death in 461, his movement experienced even greater growth among the Piths and Anglo Saxons. However, instead of delighting in his success, the "official church" savagely attacked his methods, attempting to shut them down. But by this time, his monastic communities had spread through Europe, as described in Thomas Cahill’s book How the Irish Saved Civilization. 

Here’s why Patrick is so revered today, ultimately being canonized by the very church which spurned him. His mission from God mattered more to him than anything else—more than human pressure; more than religious systems; more than the opinions of men. He was willing to risk ridicule and go against the religious authorities of his day, resulting in great personal sacrifice. He understood that people need Jesus and nothing matters more than Him.  Our difficult days call for men and women with the spirit of Patrick.