Patrick of Ireland by Kelley Barton

He was born in Scotland, around the year 385. His Father, Calpurnius, was a Roman Centurion in charge of the colonies in Britain and also a deacon in a local, New Testament church. As a young boy of 14 or so, he was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave.

Several years later, while tending his master's sheep in a strange land of Druids and pagans, he had a vision. A voice called out to him, telling him to go home. God safely guided him back to his parents, only to later ask him to return to Ireland as God's messenger. So he left his family again and became the first missionary in church history who went to a nation outside of Roman influence. His name was Patrick.

Patrick planted many churches and baptized thousands of converts in Ireland. He became an Irishman, using the shamrock to explain the Trinity.  He devoted his life to spreading the gospel, teaching the Irish that even slave traders can turn into liberators.

Along with his father, Patrick had never allowed his faith to be controlled by the Roman church. Instead he felt that he was responsible only to God, not to other men. As a political move to control the Irish churches, the Roman church later canonized Patrick, which is how he became known as Saint Patrick.

To many people, Patrick is merely a reason to wear green on March 17th. But what is truly unique about his accomplishments is that Ireland is one of the only places that learned about Christianity without bloodshed. The Irish were moved by Patrick's courage, his steadfast loyalty to them and their culture, and his deep desire for them to have a personal, intimate relationship with the true and living God.

Although he lived most of his life in poverty and had to endure much suffering, his trust in God was inspiring. Patrick wrote:

"I see his blood upon the rose and in the stars the glory of his eyes

His body gleams amid eternal snows, his tears fall from the skies

I see his face in every flower, the thunder and the singing of the birds

Are but his voice and carven by His power, rocks are his written words.

All pathways by his feet are worn, His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea

His crowns of thorns is twined with every thorn, His cross is every tree."