It’s the Feast Day of Saint Patrick, one of the Church’s great evangelists and missionaries, which we in the States of course celebrate by pinching each other and getting drunk. I really appreciate the work of God through Saint Patrick and find his missionary work increasingly relevant in our post-Christian culture. How do we reach and engage folks outside the faith and how do we reach them where they are? Patrick was not even Irish, but actually kidnapped by the Irish when he was young. After escaping his slavery, he eventually returned to those very people in order to share Christ with them. It is an amazing story and demonstration of the grace of God.
I was reading a bit from one of my church history books about this time period, and learned that this movement in Ireland became so large, the Irish then sent missionaries to other countries, most notably, Scotland. There was a well known missionary named Columba who settled in Iona and eventually a monastery was founded there that became a crucial center of missions to Scotland.
It’s amazing what God has done through faithful people and today we remember one of them, Patrick of Ireland.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Here are some other posts on Saint Patrick I have written:
This one features the well known prayer attributed to Saint Patrick.
This one features one of my favorite stories of Saint Patrick’s fearlessness in his faith.