17Mar16

1 Corinthians 9:22b-23
"I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

In honor of St. Patricks Day yesterday (today in the USofA) I thought I'd just give a little background on St. Patrick so that we can all truly appreciate the holiday for what it was founded on... not what it has become.

The man called Saint Patrick was born to a wealthy family in AD 387 in Kilpatrick, Scotland. His real name was Maewyn Succat. It was his extensive missionary work in Ireland for which he is famous. History records that Saint Patrick, at age sixteen, was captured by Celtic raiders and spent several years as a slave in Ireland. It was during this time that he learned the various rituals, customs, and language of Celtic Druids. He later had a dream in which God spoke to him saying, "Your ship is ready." Saint Patrick was then able to escape by ship back to Britain. Shortly thereafter, he experienced another dream in which he received a letter which claimed to be the "voice of the Irish." When he opened it, he heard the voices of all those who he had met in Ireland begging him to return.

Saint Patrick then began a course of study to become ordained a bishop in the Catholic Church and returned to Ireland to establish the church. Though the task was difficult and dangerous, he persisted and was able to build a strong foundation for Christianity. The Irish people were receptive to his teachings, especially in light of the fact that he was able to take several of their Celtic symbols and Christianize them. The most prominent of these is the green shamrock, a certain type of clover. He used this plant, which was held sacred by the Druids, as a symbol of the Trinity. He died on March 17, 461.

Who are you called to serve? How can you communicate to those around you so that they can hear your message?