“My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers.”
The confession of Maewyn Succat, aka—St. Patrick
Much of what we know about Maewyn Succat–St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, we know from his own words of his own writing. One from the Epistola, and his Christian confession before he died. In it, we are told of the man he was, and what motivated his heart to serve the very people that imprisoned him as a teenager.
Short History of St. Patrick
Patrick was born in Roman occupied Great Britain, not Ireland, to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. Even though his father was a Christian deacon, he wasn’t interested in Christianity. Some even claim that his father’s belief was mediocre. This was evidenced when he understood his own sinfulness, and believed that it was almighty God that inflicted the punishments of enslaving thousands of Britain’s people by Irish pirates, when he was 16 years old while tending his father’s sheep in pasture.
While in Ireland, he worked outdoors alone as a shepherd like Moses (Exodus 2:16-17), David (1 Samuel 16:10-13), and Rachel (Genesis 29:9) — praying intense and long prayers to God. It was there where he became a devout Christian and dreamed one day of converting the pagans of Ireland to Jesus Christ.
Patrick was a prisoner for over six years and escaped, crediting God for delivering him and telling Patrick that it was time to leave Ireland. He walked over 200 miles to the Irish coast where he boarded a ship with pagan crew to Britain. The captain was not happy with him, but changed his mind at the last minute. While on board and when they made landfall, he refused to adhere to their pagan culture and food given to idols (1 Corinthians 8:1-13).
Thoughout his capture, Patrick witnessed the hand of God in his life. Three days after his escape, Patrick and the crew traveled twenty eight days through a wilderness. When the food ran out, hunger came over them, the captiain challenged Patrick, “What about this, Christian? You tell us that your God is great and all-powerful – why can’t you pray for us, since we’re in a bad state with hunger? There’s no sign of us finding a human being anywhere!”
Patrick responded boldly, “Turn in faith with all your hearts to the Lord my God, because nothing is impossible for him, so that he may put food in your way – even enough to make you fully satisfied! He has an abundance everywhere.” From Patricks own words, God provided:
With the help of God, this is actually what happened! A herd of pigs appeared in the way before our eyes! They killed many of them and there they remained for two nights, and were fully restored, and the dogs too were filled. Many of them had grown weak and left half-alive by the way. After this, they gave the greatest of thanks to God, and I was honoured in their eyes. From this day on, they had plenty of food.1
Time and time he saw miracles and the hand of God on his life. Patrick never doubted, and God never relented His provision upon him and those with whom he was with.
After reuniting with his parents once again, Patrick experienced another revelation in which an angel in a dream directed him to return to Ireland as a Christian missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training which lasted 15 years. In the end, ordained as a priest, he was sent to Ireland to minister to the Christians already living there, and to convert the Irish from druid paganism to Christianity. He did this by using their Irish culture, gods, and pagan rituals to point to the True and Living God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe; similar to what Paul did in Acts 17 when he addressed the philosophers in Athens:
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. … So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ … The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” – Acts 17:16, 22-28, 30-31 ESV
Though Patrick was never officially canonized by the Catholic Church, he is a saint by any rite — a follower of Jesus Christ. Therefore, according to the Bible — all Christians are saints!2 Let’s examine what it really means to be a Christian–a true believer of Jesus Christ modeled after St. Patrick.
St. Patrick Understood His Own Sinfulness in the Presence of His Sovereign Creator
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 (Daniel 9:5-6). 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.
It was there that the Lord opened up my awareness of my lack of faith. Even though it came about late, I recognised 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. He guarded me before I knew him, and before I came to wisdom and could distinguish between good and evil. He protected me and consoled me as a father does for his son.
Patrick understood that not only was he a sinner, but his own sinfuless through his actions deserved justified punishment from a holy God. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) Patrick understood that God had every right to do whatever He wanted with him, but also understood that all good things came from the hand of God.
His Faith Was in Jesus Christ and Belief in the Holy Trinity
This is because there is no other God, nor will there ever be, nor was there ever, except God the Father (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:1-3; John 1:1-18). He is the one who was not begotten, the one without a beginning, the one from whom all beginnings come, the one who holds all things in being (Colossians 1:15-18) – this is our teaching. And his son, Jesus Christ, whom we testify has always been, since before the beginning of this age, with the father in a spiritual way. He was begotten in an indescribable way before every beginning. Everything we can see, and everything beyond our sight, was made through him (Colossians 1:16-17). He became a human being; and, having overcome death, was welcomed to the heavens to the Father (Luke 24). The Father gave him all power over every being, both heavenly and earthly and beneath the earth. Let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ, in whom we believe and whom we await to come back to us in the near future, is Lord and God (Philippians 2:9-11). He is judge of the living and of the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5) and he rewards every person according to their deeds (Revelation 22:12). He has generously poured on us the Holy Spirit, the gift and promise of immortality, who makes believers and those who listen to be children of God and co-heirs with Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14). This is the one we acknowledge and adore – one God in a trinity of the sacred name.
Jesus said of Himself:
“…I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 ESV
He Devoted Himself to Prayer
It was during his captivity that his faith grew and his spirit moved to prayer and drawing closer to the Lord. When most people collapse during hardship — his faith was strengthened.
After I arrived in Ireland, I tended sheep every day, and I prayed frequently during the day. More and more the love of God increased, and my sense of awe before God. Faith grew, and my spirit was moved… As I realise now, the Spirit was burning in me at that time.
Have you ever felt distant from God? Turn to prayer to the One who is willing and able to save you from your sins — Jesus Christ.
Went Back to Share the Gospel of Christ to the Ones Who Enslaved Him as a Boy
After hearing the call of God to go back and share the gospel of Christ to those who enslaved him, he spent his time rigorous religious training and course of study for 15 years, to prepare him for the mission field. It was that love for his enemies and forgiveness in his heart that motivated Patrick to go and be the proclaimer of salvation to Irish.
All Christians have a calling and a purpose set before them, for Jesus tells us in His Great Commission:
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. – Mark 16:15-16 ESV
and again:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
Until the end of days, we are to proclaim Jesus to the ends of the earth. That is all our calling as Christians.
St. Patrick’s Perseverance in the Faith is an Example to Us All
Like many of the people we read about in the Bible, Patrick was used by God in amazing ways. But it was through those hardships that turned an irreligious slave boy into a bold man of God.
Many times, we think that God is punishing us, but what He is really doing is preparing us for Christian service. God used all the suffering and anguish to draw Patrick close to Himself. God was preparing this man six years in brutal slavery, working in him things that were well-pleasing to God, building his character, and developing an intimacy with his Creator. God did this with many saints throughout the Bible, and even today He uses the weak, seemingly foolish, and despised for His glory.
“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 ESV
Read St. Patrick’s writings in his own words (translated to English)3
- [all text in green] St. Patrick’s Confessio: Read what St. Patrick actually wrote in his own words. https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/confessio_english# ↩︎
- https://www.gotquestions.org/saints-Christian.html ↩︎
- What is the Confessio and Epistola? https://www.confessio.ie/more/article_kelly# ↩︎
Pens & Wrenches 