More Than Corned Beef and Cabbage!

Being March 17, today is widely known as Saint Patrick’s Day. For many it is a day to celebrate Irish heritage, attend parades, eat corn beef and cabbage, and drink beer. The day is decorated with four-leaf clovers and green is everywhere (even in our bagels!).  And for the most part, the real Saint Patrick and the reason for a day to honor him has been lost. Yet, he must not be forgotten. So, here are some facts regarding Saint Patrick. 

1. Saint Patrick was one of the first great                missionaries who brought the gospel beyond the boundaries of Roman civilization—in this case, to the people of Ireland. 

2. Saint Patrick did not require the native Irish to surrender their belief in the supernatural beings of the Druids, but to see them in a new light—as they really were: demons.

3. Saint Patrick believed that the power he brought through the gospel was stronger than the power of    Druids and their evil spirits.

4. Saint Patrick was the first Christian to speak out strongly against slavery. 

5. Saint Patrick lived his life confident of his shortcomings, yet with a deep sense of God’s presence and         involvement in his life. 

Here’s a portion of Saint Patrick’s poem, “Lorica” or “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate”: 

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 when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

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

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.  

(Saint Patrick ca. 377) 

Surely Saint Patrick’s Day is about much more than corned beef and cabbage! When you dive into his life, you find that Saint Patrick was a man of God, living his life on a mission for God. 

Let’s pray that God would raise up some Saint Patrick’s for our world today!  More than that, may we live our lives as did Saint Patrick, doing all we can to bring the gospel and the power of Christ into the lives of people around us and all over the world. 

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! 

- Pastor Tim Harris