03/17/2026
Happy Saint Patrick's Day.
Just a little background about this well celebrated holiday.
Patrick traveled the roads and forded the rivers of Ireland for 30 years to see men and women "reborn in God' and come to know the Christ he loved so much. Patrick wrote in his Confession:
We ought to fish well and diligently, as our Lord exhorts. Hence, we spread our nets so that a great multitude and throng might be caught for God.
By the time of his death, Patrick had baptized tens of thousands and established hundreds of churches throughout Ireland. Danger and hardship remained his constant companions. Twice he was imprisoned, but he was not discouraged. He wrote in his Confession:
Daily I expect murder, fraud, or captivity, but I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven. I have cast myself into the hands of God Almighty who rules everywhere.
Within a century this once pagan land became predominately Christian, possessing such a vigorous faith that Ireland in turn sent missionaries to Scotland, England, Germany and Belgium.
As an old man, Patrick looked back in awe:
Those who never had knowledge of God but worshipped idols ... have now become ... sons of God.
The old saint died in his beloved Ireland on March 17th, 460 A.D. The land that once enslaved him, had now been set free.
Glory to God! ➕☘️
I love the excerpt from one of his prayers.
