Praying For A Heart of Love and Forgiveness Like Saint Patrick

Wednesday March 17, 2021

Well, so much has been written about Saint Patrick and his love for God and for the people of Ireland – such a love that he was willing to return to the land where he had been enslaved to share the truth of God’s saving and forgiving love. Saint Patrick was surely a man of action, not just words. He knew how to put into practice the little slogan we hear so often, “Don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk.”

For those who are not familiar with anything more than shamrocks and green beer and posts of gold at the end of the rainbow in celebrating him, let me give you this brief summary of the historical Saint Patrick.

At 16 years of age he was captured by pirates and sold into slavery when he was only teenager, forced to be a shepherd, herding sheep and pigs. His father had been a church deacon, and his grandfather a clergyman, but by his account, he only turned to religion and prayed out to God when he was in captivity when conditions were harsh. Sounds a bit familiar to some of us doesn’t it?

After six years as a slave he did escape and after a brief reunion with his family he entered seminary to become a priest. While studying for ministry, he received a vision from God to return to Ireland as a missionary, which he followed up on.

He wasn’t known as a great orator but rather as someone who could speak simply and use ordinary things to help people understand God and God’s love for them. That’s pretty much why St. Patrick’s Day is represented by a shamrock. According to legend, Patrick would take up a three-leaf clover and ask, “Does it have one leaf or three?” Those listening would respond, “both.” Patrick then explained, “And so it is with the Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit are one God.

Well, we are each given gifts by God to be used to make a positive difference in the lives of people who are in need today. God promises us His Spirit as He puts His agenda before us today

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

Well, Lord, along with Saint Patrick, we pray that we would hear Your voice as You fill us with Your Holy Spirit and show us how we are meant to be Your witnesses today. Whether it is in our city (Jerusalem), locally in our province, across our country, or even around the world, we know that the only work that matters today is how we show Your heart and Your salvation that’s available to all. We pray to be willing to go to people and places that are not convenient or even appealing to us, for whatever reason. What’s Your plan for our day God? How can we be in service of the good news of the Gospel today?

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Lord, you took Patrick through years of difficult circumstances where all he knew to do was to cry out to You in full dependence on Your saving help. You did bring him out of slavery and then You provided training and a vision that sent Patrick back to hard places. You worked on His character so Patrick wasn’t just willing to go, do what was necessary, and then get out of there, but with His whole heart he went and represented You for the rest of His life. Give us such a love for You and Your ways that we grow willing to do the same as we follow Your call to us, whatever that is today.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:1, 16-18

Oh Lord, give us such a revelation of how loved we are that we will respond with Your heart, as You direct us, to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters, not with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.

And now we’ll end today’s few minutes with this blessing attributed to Saint Patrick:

May the Strength of God pilot us.

May the Power of God preserve us.

May the Wisdom of God instruct us.

May the Hand of God protect us.

May the Way of God direct us.

May the Shield of God defend us.

May the Host of God guard us

Against the snares of the evil ones,

Against temptations of the world.

May Christ be with us!

May Christ be before us!