St Patrick: Do you know the myth or the man?

Given the popularity of St Patrick’s Day, many celebrators know little about St Patrick the man. They might be surprised to learn that he never ate corned beef and cabbage, never drove snakes out of Ireland, and had no leprechaun friends. The majority of St Patrick’s Day customs, myths, and fables have been perpetuated and instituted over a period of 16 centuries. Stripping away the secular activities, we discover a holy person who spent over 30 years proclaiming the Gospel to the people of Ireland. Prayerfully recalling and recognising his life as God’s chosen missionary is how to uncover the true spirit of St Patrick.

Patrick was raised a Christian but gave little attention to his religion. At age 16, he was kidnapped and carried off to Ireland, where he was sold as a slave. For the next six years, he tended the owner’s flocks. This was a lonely job, spent in solitude in all sorts of weather. It was during this time that he experienced spiritual renewal. According to his words, he began praying constantly, and his indifference toward God turned to love.

Captivity

At 22, Patrick had a dream telling him to escape captivity and return to his homeland. Believing this was a heavenly message, he spent 20 days walking 200 miles to the sea and found transportation to Gaul (France). God, in his surprising ways, was calling this youth to holiness and sainthood to become the apostle to Ireland.

Patrick returned to his family, claiming that during a dream he heard the voice of the Irish, “We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk again amongst us.” Patrick discerned that he was destined to return to Ireland and bring the Gospel to a people unaware of Christ. It would take 20 years before he could fulfil this dream.

Patrick’s goal was to minister to the Christians in Ireland and evangelise to a people dismissed as heathens”

Patrick sought ordination as a priest, but facts about these years differ. The saint tells us that on his way to becoming a bishop, he was rejected by other bishops based on an incident from his youth. He overcame this setback but faced more questioning about his desire to return to Ireland. Many thought he was crazy to return to a place where he had been a slave, a land considered the edge of the known world.

As anxious as he was to return to Ireland, Patrick wanted no shortcuts in his rise to the episcopate. In 432, St Germanus of Auxerre, a bishop, oversaw Patrick’s elevation to bishop and sent him to Ireland. Patrick’s goal was to minister to the Christians in Ireland and evangelise to a people dismissed as heathens.

Culture

Patrick’s strategy was to introduce Christianity in a way that made it take root without changing the people’s culture. The soil was fertile, but the task was not without difficulty. Fifth-century Ireland had thousands of tribal communities, and few had heard of Christ. Patrick and his group would seek the tribal leaders, and sometimes bribe them, to gain permission to preach. Patrick knew the language from his time as a slave and had some cultural knowledge.

Patrick often faced danger, as tribes captured him several times. But, thanks to the Holy Spirit, they were never harmed. He did not attack the culture but confronted the Druid priests, who promoted reincarnation and human sacrifices. Divine intervention was on Patrick’s side during these confrontations, and their magic was refuted by the power of the Gospel.

Legend has it that Patrick used the shamrock, a sacred plant to the Druids, to explain the Trinity. Historians estimate that during his mission, Patrick baptised thousands, ordained 300 bishops, and erected hundreds of churches. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, Nigeria, and many dioceses and churches worldwide.

DD Emmons writes from Pennsylvania.

article and photo credit https://www.irishcatholic.com