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Who Was St. Patrick?

Patrick was a saint in the biblical sense. Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; etc., etc. He was also a great Bible-quoting preacher of the Gospel. In fact, it was said of him that he was a “man of one Book.” He never appealed to any creed, Pope or council; but in his writings, brief as they are, no fewer than 113 passages of Scripture are either quoted or mentioned.

Taken as a slave to Ireland from his native Britain as a lad of sixteen, he was made to tend the flocks of his pagan Irish master on the rugged mountain of Slemish.

Amidst the solitude of his captivity, he was gloriously converted—calling upon the Lord. Providentially, he later was enabled to escape his slavery and find his way home to be with his family in Britain again.

The Lord called him, however, to go back to Ireland with the message of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus. This he did faithfully and today he is known around the world as the man who brought the Gospel to Ireland.

But let us hear from the great missionary himself:

“I, Patrick, A Sinner”

These are the words he used to commence his letter which he refers to as:

“This is my confession before I die.”

He understood the Scriptures: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.

“I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” Psalm 51:5.

But He Was Converted

“The Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might remember my sins and be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God.”

“Hence I cannot be silent about the great benefits and the great Grace which the Lord has deigned to bestow upon me.”

“I was like a stone lying in the deep mire; and He that is Mighty came and in His mercy lifted me up.”

So Patrick’s Great Desire Then Was To Profess The Lord and All His Wonders

“Hence I cannot be silent— because there is no other God, nor ever was, nor will be, than God the Father unbegotten, without beginning, from whom is all beginning, from whom is all beginning, the Lord of the universe, as we have been taught; and His Son, Jesus Christ, whom we declare to have always been with the Father — by Him are all things made, visible and invisible. He was made man and, having defeated death, was received into Heaven by the Father; and He hath given Him all power over all names in heaven, on earth and under the earth and every tongue shall confess to Him that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe, and whose advent we expect soon to be judge of the living and the dead.”

Notice he followed what has been called the ABC’s of Salvation:

Admit your Sin to God

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation: altogether apart from good works, sacraments, the Church etc.

Confess Him before others

We invite you to do the same, then you will know the joy Patrick expressed in the hymn he composed, part of which is as follows:

I arise today: Through the strength of Christ with His Baptism

Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial

Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension

Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom

I arise today: Through God’s Strength to pilot me

God’s might to uphold me

God’s wisdom to guide me

God’s eye to look before me

God’s ear to hear me

God’s word to speak for me

God’s shield to protect me

Against snares of devils

Against temptations of vices

Against inclinations of nature

Against everyone who shall wish me ill

Afar and anear

Alone and in a crowd

Christ to protect me today against poison, against burning, against drowning, against wounding so that there may come abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the heart of man who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity

Through belief in the threeness

Through confession of the oneness towards the Creator

Salvation is of the Lord

Salvation is of the Lord

Salvation is of Christ

May Thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

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