What comes to mind when you think of St. Patrick's Day? Do you think of shamrocks, parades, wearing anti-pinch green, Kiss Me I'm Irish (for today), or even the Lucky Charms they're magically delicious happy leprechaun? What about all the customary drinking on St. Patty's Day?
Reading about the life of Saint Patrick gives a whole new meaning to shamrocks for me. I don't know about the pinching, kissing, magically delicious, drinking part of it all. But more than anything it makes me want to celebrate the man more than the day.
Who was he? Is there any truth to him driving snakes out of Ireland? You may be surprised to find out that the story of his life reads like that of the prophet Elijah, or something out of the book of Acts. According to the story, he really did drive out snakes from Ireland, but it wasn't the kind most people think of.
Just like Elijah, he challenged the pagan worship of the day and the highest powers of the land in front of the entire nation. The day he stepped out in faith to turn the hearts of the Irish towards the one true God changed the course of Ireland's history.
On that Spring day, Saint Patrick really lit a fire and it's still burning today. The fire he lit was on top of the Hill of Slane just outside of modern-day Dublin. This wasn't just any day, any fire and any hill. This day fell on Easter Sunday, 26 March in the year 433. That day was the day that according to royal and Druidic decree all fires in the kingdom would be extinguished, except for one, the bonfire outside the royal palace atop the Hill of Tara. This bonfire could be seen for miles. It had huge significance as it announced the rightful owner to the throne of Ireland. Its flames brightly declared to everyone who was king over Ireland. The hill Saint Patrick chose might as well have been Elijah's altar on top of Mount Carmel, because it was right across from the Hill of Tara in plain sight of practically the whole nation.
I can only imagine the screams that let out from King Laoghaire's court when they looked out to see a fire burning on the Hill of Slane even before they could strike a match to theirs. All hell must have broken loose up in there - all pun intended.
The Druid priests demanded that the King put a stop to this show of defiance and fast, I'm sure job security had something to do with it. Well, like all good pagan kings he listened and sent out the hit squad along with the fire department. When they reached the fire, they desperately tried to extinguish the flames. But what started out a natural fire could not be put out by natural means. This was no bonfire, this was a God fire.
When they tried to find out who started the now raging inferno, God closed their eyes so that they could not see Saint Patrick, who was probably chuckling in the shadows and giving God some major props. The Druid priests were probably fuming (and sweating) even more when the King all of a sudden thought that whoever started the fire was more than just ok with him . . . he was the man!
Saint Patrick came out to His court at the King's own invitation. The Druid priests, desperate for some action, set out a trap for him. Didn't these priests watch the Prince of Egypt? Well, they must have thought of the most inconceivable thing possible to prove that Saint Patrick was some kind of third-string street act. What about snow? So they challenged the God of Saint Patrick to let it snow on what was a perfectly sunny day.
Saint Patrick from all indications probably was not expecting the snow challenge, but God just said "bring it on baby" or something close to it. Everybody gasped and maybe even Saint Patrick did a little when they looked out to see the ground covered in snow with flakes falling from heaven.
According to the story, Saint Patrick did not know what to do with the snow. All he could think of was to wave the sign of the cross. Well thank God, the Lord knew what to do. Within a bat of the eye, the snow disappeared without a trace. About this time the head Druid priest pretty much just rolled his tongue off the floor and stuffed his eyes back in their sockets and signed up for Saint Patrick's next baptismal service. He left the Druidic priesthood to become a disciple of the man he was trying to kill. Thus, Saint Patrick lit a fire on Easter, chased some snakes (the symbol of the Celtic Druids), and announced a new King over Ireland - Jesus.
As I close the pages of this blog, I think of all the people out there celebrating this day without knowing the God of Saint Patrick. This tidbit doesn't even come close to telling the whole story of his life, including his abduction as a child, life as a slave, other challenges including an "air battle" with another Druid priest, and several angelic visitations. And yet most people know nothing of this man's faith and the power that came from it. A whole nation was changed when God showed up and proved He was real, because one man was a believer in a nation of unbelievers.
Right now, I'm speaking to a person who is looking for a reason to believe in God. Does anyone honestly think that Christianity had a snowball's chance in the fires of pagan Ireland before Saint Patrick brought the fires and snowballs of God to the island? Something miraculous had to happen to convert the entire nation to Christianity, these things don't just happen because somebody is a smooth talker. God proved Himself miraculously then and He is waiting to prove Himself for you today now right where you are. Look out the window of your questioning mind and feel the fire raging within the hill of your heart. Reach out and grasp the miracle snow that's waiting to land on your soul.
Saint Patrick was once asked by two princesses:
"Who is God?"
"And where is God?"
"Where is His dwelling?"
"Has He sons and daughters?"
"Is He rich in silver and gold?"
"Is He everlasting? is He beautiful?"
"Are His daughters dear and lovely to the men of this world?"
"Is He on the heavens or on earth?"
"In the sea, in rivers, in mountains, in valleys?"
"Make Him known to us. How is He to be seen?"
"How is He to be loved? How is He to be found?"
"Is it in youth or is it in old age that He may be found?"
But St. Patrick, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them:
"God, whom we announce to you, is the Ruler of all things."
"The God of heaven and earth, of the sea and the rivers."
"The God of the sun, and the moon, and all the stars."
"The God of the high mountains and of the lowlying valleys."
"The God who is above heaven, and in heaven, and under heaven."
"His dwelling is in heaven and earth, and the sea, and all therein."
"He gives breath to all."
"He gives life to all."
"He is over all."
"He upholds all."
"He gives light to the sun."
"He imparts splendour to the moon."
"He has made wells in the dry land, and islands in the ocean."
"He has appointed the stars to serve the greater lights."
"His Son is co-eternal and co-equal with Himself."
"The Son is not younger than the Father."
"And the Father is not older than the Son."
"And the Holy Ghost proceeds from them."
"The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost are undivided."
"But I desire by Faith to unite you to the Heavenly King, as you are daughters of an earthly king."
God desires the same thing. For you to know Him and for Him to make Himself known to you. Pinch yourself to know you're alive. As you do this, know that God is pinching you telling you the same thing. I'd love to just give Saint Patrick a big brotherly wet one right now on the cheek. Not for being Irish, but for being a hero. But I can't, so the best thing I can do on this day is celebrate him, learn from his faith, desire his fiery passion for God and people, and lastly propose a cheer in his honor:
"Here's to you St. Patty!"
To find more information about Saint Patrick visit www.saint-patrick.com. To find more information about God, find Jesus today.
