Missionary of the Month

17 03 11 22:32 Filed in: Reflections
He was one of my countrymen. It makes me smile that the patron saint of Ireland was actually British. Today is his day - St Patrick’s Day - and lovers of the Emerald Isle celebrate in all kinds of strange ways that actually have nothing to do with the man.

As a British teen in the fifth century, he was taken captive by Irish raiders and spent the next half dozen years as a slave in Ireland. Though his family was Christian, it was apparently in slavery that his faith took root and deepened. Sensing God leading him back to Britain, he escaped. He reached home convinced that God was calling him back to Ireland, not as a slave but as a missionary. After several years of preparation and eventual ordination, he returned to Ireland and led the Irish from paganism to Christ. One of the keys to his effectiveness was his ability to introduce Christianity while respecting the Irish culture.

So forget the leprechauns, snakes, and Irish whisky. St Patrick was one of the most effective missionaries Britain ever produced - and that’s worth celebrating. Happy
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