Today most people know St. Patrick for green beer, banishing snakes from Ireland, using shamrocks to teach the Trinity, or his walking stick growing into a living tree. Indeed, none of these legends has anything to do with the real Patrick.

However, the factual accounts of Patrick, missionary to Ireland, are even more compelling than the folklore. Telling the true story of Patrick provides an inspiring lesson in God’s grace and mercy.

While other 1,500-year-old characters in history are difficult to research because too few writings have survived time, Patrick is hard to study because so much has been written about him. The bulk of the writings on Patrick are lore, fiction, and embellishment. In uncovering the real Patrick we must sift through ten fictional accounts of his life to find one factual work.

From Slave to Evangelist

As a teenager Patrick was kidnapped, taken from his home in southern Britain, and sold into slavery on the island of Ireland. During his six years as a slave he converted to Christianity and earned a reputation as a fervent evangelist. In the dark of the night Patrick escaped his bonds and fled Ireland. Following a long journey home he entered theological training and full-time service to the Lord. God spoke to Patrick in his dreams and told him that he would return to Ireland and serve as a missionary to the people who had kept him in servitude.

In AD 432, 25 years after fleeing Ireland, Patrick returned to the place of his bondage. He did not return with malice in his heart, but as a missionary eager to convert the Irish. Patrick served in regions of Ireland where outsiders had never traveled. While roaming through Ireland he preached to pagans and also instructed Christian believers. Patrick trained Irish helpers and ordained native clergy. He was bringing a new way of life to a violent, war-oriented pagan culture. His work was both groundbreaking and Christ-honoring.

“Daily I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises,” Patrick wrote while serving in Ireland. “But I fear nothing, because of the promises of heaven.”

Many brutal kings and warlords felt threatened by Patrick’s work. In order to obtain the favor of local leaders and to gain safe passage, Patrick paid penance, or bribes, to authorities. He used the rulers to gain access to their lands just as they used Patrick to gain wealth and favor with Christians. Of the bribes he paid, Patrick proclaimed, “I do not regret this nor do I regard it as enough. I am paying out still and I shall pay out more.”

Missionary Ahead of His Time

In fifth-century Ireland women were a commodity. Selling a daughter or arranging a politically strategic marriage was common and advantageous to a family. Patrick upset the social order by teaching women they had a choice in Christ. As God converted these women to Christianity, some became full-time servants of Christ in the face of strong family opposition. Patrick told women they could be “virgins for Christ” by remaining chaste. This newfound control was appealing to many women, but it angered many men who believed Patrick was taking away their prized possessions.

At the time many scholars regarded Ireland as the end of the earth, or at least the edge of the inhabitable portion of earth. The collapsing Roman Empire supported many beliefs that civilized society was drawing to a close. Politicians and philosophers viewed Ireland as barbaric and untamable. Many Christians did not believe the Irish were worthy of being saved. At that point in history, Patrick truly served as a pioneering missionary to a forgotten people.

Patrick advocated learning among Christians. He promoted the ascetic life and monasticism. The Irish culture did not place great value on literacy or education. Patrick, however, promoted studying the Scriptures as well as reading books written by fathers of the faith.

Recovering the True Patrick

Patrick entered an Ireland full of paganism and idol worship. But just a few short decades after Patrick arrived, a healthy, Christ-honoring church was thriving. The Irish church was so strong that in the centuries to come it would send missionaries to evangelize much of continental Europe. Patrick’s legacy lives on through the countless spiritual grandchildren he left to continue his work.

Patrick lived in a way that brought honor to God. His devotion and resolute obedience offer examples for all followers of Christ. Patrick stood in the face of great challenges and did not falter. His service, his life, and his unwavering commitment to spreading the gospel of Christ are as commendable today as they were in the fifth century.

We as Christians have allowed the modern, secular customs of St. Patrick’s Day to steal away one of the greatest missionaries in Christian history and reduce his memory to leprechauns, green beer, and fictional tales. Let’s take back our beloved servant of Christ and share God’s glory achieved during the life of Patrick the missionary to Ireland. Let’s share the true legacy of this great Christian evangelist.

From The Gospel Coalition

O God,
You declare Your almighty power
chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
Grant us the fullness of Your grace
that we,
running to obtain Your promises,
may become partakers
of Your heavenly treasure;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

–The Book of Common Prayer

Sunday in our services we will partake in the sacrament of baptism. This is not a passive experience for all the dry heads! Some helpful thoughts from David Mathis of Desiring God Ministries:

Bringing to mind our baptism is a potent way of bringing ourselves back to the gospel dramatized in the baptismal waters. In calling to mind our own baptism’s. . . .  significance in pointing to what Jesus has accomplished for us, and what benefits he gives to those who believe.

Baptism can be a means of grace throughout our lives as we observe, with faith, the baptisms of others and bring to mind the riches of the reality of our identity in Christ pictured in our baptism (Romans 6:3–4; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12).

So, whether in temptation or in observing someone else’s, don’t let your own baptism be a forgotten reality. There’s more grace in those waters — not in being re-baptized, but in remembering your one baptism — even as there’s an eternity of grace in our ongoing faith in Jesus and his cross.

Application to volunteer

This sounds like fun. From our AQJ team:

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

AQJ is in need of 10-15 volunteers on the above date to assist in the “production” of the upcoming “Superhero Family Day.” Volunteers are needed to facilitate five stations through which the students will rotate as well as others being assigned to an individual class along with the teacher. The time commitment we are asking is from 12:00 pm until 2:40pm. You must have a current volunteer status with the school board of Alachua County.

Application to volunteer

We are excited that the school approached us in helping in this manner. Most of the daily volunteers assist with academic needs but an activity as such can foster a relationship of a different dimension. Below you’ll find a copy of the letter sent out to families of children at AQJ. Please consider serving our great God and allowing your light to shine! Please send Ashley Means ashley_alyn at yahoo.com or Paige French pbemfrench at gmail.com any questions or let us know if you are able to assist.

From the school:

Superhero Family Day
Dear Families,
You are invited to our Superhero Themed Family Day on March 21, 2014 from 1:00pm-2:30pm. Families can start arriving at 12:30 to join their sons/daughters for a lunch and an afternoon of organized superhero related activities. Our youth need positive role models to help successfully navigate into young adulthood. Superheroes are well loved by many of our students because they portray positive character traits our students strive for themselves. We want to use their interests to empower their emotional and academic learning. During this event, the students will be participating in:
· Superhero Poster Contest- Families will vote on the best superhero poster at the front office.
· Face Painting and Superhero Cuff Crafts- Our students will have the opportunity to turn into Superheroes
· Relay Races- Students will…
· Bean Bag Toss- Two teams will work together in a friendly game of bean bag toss
· Obstacle Course- aka Super Hero Training Camp
· Tag- aka Hulk Tag
Another way we would love to incorporate the Superhero theme is to have our students bring in their favorite super hero (NOT super villain) shirt the week before Family Day. By bringing it in the week before we can preapprove if it school appropriate and keep it in the classrooms for safe keeping until Family Day. On Family Day, students will come in normal school dress code and later change into their superhero related t-shirts. Attached to this letter is a list of suggested Super Heroes to give you an idea of what can be worn.
We are really looking forward to this new type of Family Day. We hope you have the time to visit our school, spend time getting to know our staff and make memories with your sons/daughters.
Thank you for your time,
A Quinn Jones

O gracious light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.