Commentary #040317 - 03/17/2004
Apostle to the Irish: The Real Saint Patrick
If you ask people who Saint Patrick was, you're likely to hear that he
was an Irishman who chased the snakes out of Ireland.
It may surprise you to learn that the real Saint Patrick was not actually
Irish -- yet his robust faith changed the Emerald Isle forever.
Patrick was born in Roman Britain to a middle-class family in about A.D. 390.
When Patrick was a teenager, marauding Irish raiders attacked his home.
Patrick was captured, taken to Ireland, and sold to an Irish king, who put
him to work as a shepherd.
In his excellent book, HOW THE IRISH SAVED CIVILIZATION, Thomas Cahill
describes the life Patrick lived. Cahill writes, "The work of such
slave-shepherds was bitterly isolated, months at a time spent alone
in the hills."
Patrick had been raised in a Christian home, but he didn't really believe
in God. But now -- hungry, lonely, frightened, and bitterly cold -- Patrick
began seeking out a relationship with his heavenly Father. As he wrote in
his CONFESSIONS, "I would pray constantly during the daylight hours" and
"the love of God . . . surrounded me more and more."
Six years after his capture, God spoke to Patrick in a dream, saying,
"Your hungers are rewarded. You are going home. Look -- your ship is
ready."
What a startling command! If he obeyed, Patrick would become a fugitive
slave, constantly in danger of capture and punishment. But he did obey --
and God protected him. The young slave walked nearly two hundred miles
to the Irish coast. There he boarded a waiting ship and traveled back to
Britain and his family.
But, as you might expect, Patrick was a different person now, and the
restless young man could not settle back into his old life. Eventually,
Patrick recognized that God was calling him to enter a monastery. In
time, he was ordained as a priest, then as a bishop.
Finally -- thirty years after God had led Patrick away from Ireland --
He called him back to the Emerald Isle as a missionary.
The Irish of the fifth century were a pagan, violent, and barbaric people.
Human sacrifice was commonplace. Patrick understood the danger and wrote:
"I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved -- whatever may come my way."
Cahill notes that Patrick's love for the Irish "shines through his writings
. . He [worried] constantly for his people, not just for their spiritual
but for their physical welfare."
Through Patrick, God converted thousands. Cahill writes, "Only this former
slave had the right instincts to impart to the Irish a New Story, one that
made sense of all their old stories and brought them a peace they had never
known before." Because of Patrick, a warrior people "lay down the swords
of battle, flung away the knives of sacrifice, and cast away the chains
of slavery."
As it is with many Christian holidays, Saint Patrick's Day has lost much
of its original meaning. Instead of settling for parades, cardboard
leprechauns, and "the wearing of the green," we ought to recover our
Christian heritage, celebrate the great evangelist, and teach our kids
about this Christian hero.
Saint Patrick didn't chase the snakes out of Ireland, as many believe.
Instead, the Lord used him to bring into Ireland a sturdy faith in the
one true God -- and to forever transform the Irish people.
For printer-friendly version, visit <a href='http://www.breakpoint.org' target='_blank'>http://www.breakpoint.org</a> and click on Today's
Commentary.
Copyright © 2004 Prison Fellowship THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT.
THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. "BreakPoint with
Chuck Colson" is a daily commentary on news and trends from a Christian
perspective. Heard on more than 1000 radio outlets nationwide, BreakPoint
transcripts are also available on the Internet. BreakPoint is a production
of The Wilberforce Forum, a division of Prison Fellowship: 1856 Old Reston
Avenue, Reston, VA 20190.
FURTHER READING & INFORMATION
T. M. Moore, "St. Patrick: Voice of Justice and Mercy," BREAKPOINT ONLINE,
17 March 2003.
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=Columnists&CONT' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=...Columnists&CONT</a>
ENTID=5894&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm
T. M. Moore, "A Culture of Plunder and Praise," BREAKPOINT ONLINE,
2 February 2004.
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=Columnists&CON' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=...=Columnists&CON</a>
TENTID=11569&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm
Bill Tammeus, "Separating the saint from the shamrock," KANSAS CITY STAR,
13 March 2004.
<a href='http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/living/8171438.htm?1c' target='_blank'>http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/l.../8171438.htm?1c</a>
Read THE CONFESSION OF ST. PATRICK (translated from the Latin
by Ludwig Bieler)
<a href='http://www.ccel.org/p/patrick/confession/confession.html' target='_blank'>http://www.ccel.org/p/patrick/confession/c...confession.html</a>
and St. Patrick's LETTER TO THE SOLDIERS OF COROTICUS.
<a href='http://www.pdevlinz.btinternet.co.uk/Coroticus.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.pdevlinz.btinternet.co.uk/Coroticus.htm</a>
Bishop Raymond J. Boland, "The Real St. Patrick," 12 August 2003.
<a href='http://www.diocese-kcsj.org/Bishop/St-Patrick.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.diocese-kcsj.org/Bishop/St-Patrick.htm</a>
Manya Brachear, "The Real Saint Patrick" (interview with Irish religious
scholar Sister Declan), BELIEFNET, 7 March 2002.
<a href='http://www.beliefnet.com/story/102/story_10233_1.html' target='_blank'>http://www.beliefnet.com/story/102/story_10233_1.html</a>
Thomas Cahill, HOW THE IRISH SAVED CIVILIZATION (Doubleday, 1996).
<a href='http://www.parable.com/breakpoint/item_0385418485.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.parable.com/breakpoint/item_0385418485.htm</a>
T. M. Moore, CELTIC FLAME: THE BURDEN OF PATRICK (Xlibris, 2000).
<a href='http://www.parable.com/breakpoint/item_0738835358.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.parable.com/breakpoint/item_0738835358.htm</a>
Mark Atherton, ed., CELTS AND CHRISTIANS (University of Wales Press,
2002).
<a href='http://www.uwp.co.uk/book_desc/1663.html' target='_blank'>http://www.uwp.co.uk/book_desc/1663.html</a>
Philip Freeman, ST. PATRICK OF IRELAND: A BIOGRAPHY (Simon and Schuster,
2004).
<a href='http://www.simonsays.com/content/content.cfm?sid=33&pid=425893' target='_blank'>http://www.simonsays.com/content/content.c...d=33&pid=425893</a>
NOTE: Referral to websites not produced by Prison Fellowship, the Wilberforce
Forum, and BreakPoint is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily
constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.
WILBERFORCE FORUM NEWS
Are you a Christian school teacher? Did you know you can receive 2 CEUs for each
course completed in the Wilberforce Forum's Certificate in Christian Worldview
Studies through the Association of Christian Schools International? Registration
for the fourth course (which begins May 3) ends March 26. The courses may be
taken individually and/or out of order and will be repeated summer 2004. Online
registration is now available.
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=Worldv' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=Worldv</a>
iew_Training&CONTENTID=11611&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Introducing Colson's "PLAYING GOD?" Study: Facing the Everyday Ethical
Dilemmas
of Biotechnology -- This dynamic multimedia study discusses bioethics and the
Christian faith.
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=Worldv' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=Worldv</a>
iew_Training&CONTENTID=11208&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm
BREAKPOINT WORLDVIEW magazine is filled with insightful articles that will help
you see today's key issues from a Christian perspective, reports from Capitol Hill,
the best of BreakPoint commentaries, and more! The April issue will address campus
life and applying faith in one's studies. May will focus on what the Church can do
to help former inmates in their transition back into society. The June issue will
address the state of marriage in America.
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/BPTemplat' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/BPTemplat</a>
e.cfm?Section=Subscribe_to_i_BP_WorldView_i_Magazine&Template=/ContentManagement/Cont
entDisplay.cfm&ContentID=10980
For books, CDs, videos, and other materials visit the BreakPoint
Store.
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/Template.cfm?Section=PF_Store&Template=/Ecommerce/EcomDefault.cfm' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/Template.cfm?Section=PF...EcomDefault.cfm</a>
BreakPoint to Go! Get BreakPoint delivered to your handheld device
or mobile phone.
<a href='http://avantgo.com/mydevice/autoadd.html?title=BreakPoint%20with%20Chuck%2' target='_blank'>http://avantgo.com/mydevice/autoadd.html?t...0with%20Chuck%2</a>
0Colson&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pfmonline.net%2Favantgo%2Findex.htm&max=100&depth=2&imag
es=1&links=0&refresh=daily&hours=1&dflags
SUPPORT BREAKPOINT
<a href='http://msg1svc.net/servlet/Gateway?p=pfm&u=2245&et=T&s=100708' target='_blank'>http://msg1svc.net/servlet/Gateway?p=pfm&u...5&et=T&s=100708</a>
ON THE RADIO
<a href='http://www.ambassadoradvertising.com/StationLogs/PF%20Log.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.ambassadoradvertising.com/Stati...gs/PF%20Log.htm</a>
ABOUT BREAKPOINT
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/BreakPoint1/Learn_More2/Ab' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/.../Learn_More2/Ab</a>
out_BreakPoint/About_Breakpoint.htm
REPRINT INFORMATION
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Break_Point/Learn_More2/FAQ1/BreakPoint_' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/...AQ1/BreakPoint_</a>
FAQ.htm
BREAKPOINT STAFF
<a href='http://www.pfm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/BreakPoint1/Learn_More2/Ab' target='_blank'>http://www.pfm.org/Content/NavigationMenu/.../Learn_More2/Ab</a>
out_BreakPoint/About_Breakpoint.htm
------------
To subscribe to BreakPoint, click below.
<a href='http://msg1svc.net/static/pfm/leadcapture/subscribe.cfm?site=BP' target='_blank'>http://msg1svc.net/static/pfm/leadcapture/...ibe.cfm?site=BP</a>
