Patrick was born in Britain during the mid 300's A.D. His father was a priest. However, young Patrick did not follow in his father's Christian beliefs. He was a trouble maker. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was captured, along with thousands of others, and taken to Ireland.
Sold as a slave, Patrick worked as a shepherd for six years. During these years, Patrick found the God of his father and repented of his sins. In his memoir, Confessio, Patrick said this about his years of slavery.
"More and more did the love of God, and my fear of him and faith increase,
and my spirit was moved so that in a day [I said] from one up to a hundred
prayers, and in the night a like number; besides I used to stay out in the forests
and on the mountain and I would wake up before daylight to pray in the snow,
in icy coldness, in rain, and I used to feel neither ill nor any slothfulness,
because, as I now see, the Spirit was burning in me at that time."
At the end of six years of slavery, God told Patrick in a dream that he would soon return to his homeland. A little while later, a voice came to him in a dream and said, "Behold, your ship is ready." Patrick made his way to the coast where he found the ship, ready to leave. Patrick asked for passage, but was denied. As he was leaving (and praying), he was called back to the ship and his requested was granted.
After returning home to Britain, Patrick had another vision. He recounts it in Confessio.
"And, of course, there, in a vision of the night,I saw a man whose name
was Victoricus coming as it from Ireland with innumerable letters, and
he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter: 'The
Voice of the Irish', and as I was reading the beginning of the letter I
seemed at that moment to hear the voice of those who were beside
the forest of Foclut which is near the western sea, and they were crying
as if with one voice: 'We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and shall
walk again among us.' And I was stung intensely in my heart so that I could
read no more, and thus I awoke."
Patrick studied as a priest, then returned to Ireland where he preached the gospel and many received Jesus Christ as their Savior from sin.
Many truths and legends have arisen about Patrick and what he did in Ireland. One story, that is given credibility, is of the Easter fire Patrick lit in response to a pagan Druid festival. On the same weekend as Easter, the Druids were to extinguish all fires except for a huge ceremonial bonfire. Patrick responded to this pagan ritual by lighting a bonfire on the opposite end of the valley.
Another story tells of the salvation of a chieftain who tried unsuccessfully to kill Patrick. After his failed attempts, he listened to Patrick message and believed. It is said that Patrick chased all the snakes off of Ireland. Many speculate that the "snakes" refer to the pagan Druids.
Patrick realized the importance of helping people understand Biblical truths using what they already knew. He used the three leaf clover to explain the concept of the trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Patrick died in the mid to late 400's. His exact birth and death are unknown. However, it is speculated that Patrick died on March 17. Later, he was given sainthood by the Catholic church. The March 17th celebration of Saint Patrick is the feast day in honor of his life and death.
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For more information, check out...
history.com
irishchristian.net
ccel.org
catholic.org
biography.com
Saint Patrick's "Confessio"
