Another of my heroes of the faith is St. Patrick. Today is St. Patrick’s Day and I always try to wear green. Although I have Irish ancestry (my ancestors had such Irish names as Carnahan, Gillespie, McNabb, Hobson, and Mackey), St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish. Patrick was taken prisoner as a child by raiding Irish pirates from his English home. Sold into slavery, he had a hard life. He prayed and told God that if He would deliver him, he would serve Him the rest of his life. He then found an opportunity to stowaway on a departing ship. The ship was destined for France, and Patrick arrived safe, and immediately entered a monastery to become a priest, keeping his word to God.

Patrick was not the best student, and when the pope sent out a plea for missionaries to go to rugged Ireland, Patrick immediately sensed God was leading him to go back. But the religious leaders were convinced that Patrick’s grades were not good enough for him to carry out such an endeavor and denied him. However, when none of the other priests volunteered to go, they reluctantly approved Patrick as the candidate. The rest is history.

Patrick becomes a hero because he went back to those who had put him in bondage and offered them grace. Isn’t that exactly what Christ did for us? No one had a passion for the wild Irish like he who had been there. Wear green today in honor of St. Patrick.

Tags: grace, hero, missionary, St. Patrick