Holiday Edition: Saint Patrick's Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! If I had the time, I would do a double feature on Saint Brigid.

I wouldn't consider much of a Patrick if I didn't make a Saint Patrick's Day post.

"My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many. My father was Calpornius. He was a deacon; his father was Potitus, a priest, who lived at Bannavem Taburniae. His home was near there, and that is where I was taken prisoner. I was about sixteen at the time. At that time, I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity in Ireland, along with thousands of others. We deserved this, because we had gone away from God, and did not keep his commandments. We would not listen to our priests, who advised us about how we could be saved. The Lord brought his strong anger upon us, and scattered us among many nations even to the ends of the earth. It was among foreigners that it was seen how little I was."

1 - Saint Patrick's Confessio.

Sections

• Overcoming Skepticism
• Quiz

How To Come Back Strong

Apparently born somewhere in Britain, Saint Patrick was kidnapped at around age 16 by Irish raiders, and there made to tend sheep for six years until his escape.

It is through this connection to Ireland that we associate him with the country today.

Despite nearly dying to starvation and being captured a second time on his escape, Patrick eventually made it back to Britain.

Beginning in passage 23 of his Confessio, Patrick describes a dream he had upon his reunion with his parents in Britain, wherein he is handed a letter titled "The Voice of the Irish."

While reading this letter, Patrick explains that he imagined hearing a number of the locals calling out to him, asking that he return and walk among them - and that this moved him toward his later mission to bring Christianity to Ireland - a return to the land which once enslaved him, in the name of their salvation.

That mission, as we know, turned out to be a success - resulting in the conversion of much of Ireland to Christianity.

I - Overcoming Skepticism

Despite this, during his day, Patrick was viewed by many with malice, and with suspicion.

He was accused by his peers - as well as his superiors in the church - of having returned to Ireland with the intent of seeking office for the sake of seeking office - or due to some other ambition or financial motive.

He writes in his Confessio, "My defence was that I remained on in Ireland, and that not of my own choosing, until I almost perished. However, it was very good for me, since God straightened me out, and he prepared me for what I would be today. I was far different then from what I am now, and I have care for others, and I have enough to do to save them. In those days I did not even have concern for my own welfare."

Perhaps this preparatory period, paired with such skepticism from his peers and superiors, is exactly what Patrick needed in order to overcome the adversity he would face during his 30 years of missionary work.

Through his youthful years, he gained familiarity with the local language and culture, which helped him in his later mission by catalyzing local trust.

I am sure that there is science for this, though it is intuitive to me and maybe to many of you: when a message is delivered in one's natural language, that message tends to land more fully with the listener.

Many know the story of how he used the shamrock to illustrate the idea of the Holy Trinity existing as one being in three parts.

Further, it is believed that Patrick created the Celtic cross:

By combining the traditional cross of Christ with Celtic sun symbolism.

When we see our traditions and our way of being incorporated into something new - rather than simply being consumed and disposed of - we are much more open to change.

Food for thought in an era of increasing division and AI-monoculture-driven change.