Saint Patrick wasn't Irish. That is to say that he wasn't born in Ireland. He was actually born in the west coast of Scotland. When he was about 15 years old he was captured by Irish raiders and taken back to Ireland as a slave. He worked there in captivity for 6 years until he escaped and made his way back to his homeland.
He eventually studied for the priesthood and had a dream that called him back to Ireland. He chose to go and he dedicated his life to spreading the gospel among the pagans in Ireland. He ministered there for almost 40 years.
His writings show that he had fully expected the possibility of being enslaved again or even killed, yet he committed his life to teaching the love of Christ to these people that he could have easily considered his enemies.
Instead of remembering him with green beer and leprechaun hats, we should remember a man who exemplified selfless service to others and one fully committed to the call of God on his life. This holiday that celebrates his life would more rightly be known to celebrate the honor of selfless service to others. In the military, we recognize the ultimate in selfless service with the Medal of Honor. It is never awarded for someone who acted only in his own best interests, but always to a person who risked, or more often sacrificed, his life for the sake of others. Certainly our greatest example of this way of life is the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us.
I love Saint Patrick's day. It is a great reminder that our lives are best spent living not simply for ourselves, but for the good of others. It's a great reminder that originally, Saint Patrick wasn't Irish...but became so for the good of people he easily could have hated. There's something for us to think about there.
Comments