St. Patrick's Day
Today is St. Patrick’s Day.
Not to burst your bubble but St. Patrick wasn’t Irish – he was from Britain. In his autobiography Patrick recounts: “I did not then believe in the living God, not even when I was a child.” Then something happened that changed Patrick forever. He, along with thousands of Britain’s were captured by pirates and sent to Ireland as slaves. Later Patrick wrote, “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.”
This ended up being the best thing that ever happened to Patrick. He writes: “I remained in death and unbelief until I was reproved strongly, and actually brought low by hunger and nakedness daily…It was there that the Lord opened up my awareness of my lack of faith. Even though it came about late, I recognized my failings. So, I turned with all my heart to the Lord my God, and he looked down on my lowliness and had mercy on my youthful ignorance.”
“After I arrived in Ireland, I tended sheep every day, and I prayed frequently during the day. More and more my sense of awe before God and love for Him increased. My Faith grew, and my spirit was moved, so that in one day I would pray up to one hundred times, and at night perhaps the same. I even remained in the woods and on the mountain, and I would rise to pray before dawn in snow and ice and rain.”
Finally Patrick escaped Ireland and made it safely home in Britain.
You might imagine that the story would end there. I mean, Patrick has learned his lesson. He has faith, he has a prayer life. He can just settle down and live a good life. But that is not what Patrick does.
He goes back to pagan Ireland, where he would either be captured and enslaved or martyred. He risks everything for the love of Christ and souls. However, in a very short time, by the power of God, Patrick converts all of Ireland to Christ.
Patrick took a risk and won many souls for Christ.
Courage is the willingness to risk lesser things for the sake of greater.
I know you love Christ. Prove it to him and yourself. Risk the lesser thing for the sake of God.