Got ye green and pinched ye shamrock? In a week, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, a day honoring Patrick the Saint. Every year, on March 17, millions of people in the West celebrate St. Paddy's day by wearing green clothes (so they don't get pinched by the wee little leprechauns!), eat Irish food, and (yes) make pub runs. Oh, and don't forget the Irish soda bread, too! But despite all the trappings and food of this truly green day, nothing quite captures the true meaning of St. Paddy's day like the Saint himself. Buried beneath all the green and glittery gold is the story of how St. Paddy's day all began. 

To begin, Patrick was born in 386 A.D. in Roman-ruled Britain. Patrick's name at birth was not Patrick, but actually Maewyn Succat. Maewyn's father was a deacon and his mother was a relative of Saint Martin, but despite his strong religious background, Maewyn was somewhat uneducated. Suddenly, at the age of sixteen, Maewyn was kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. There, Maewyn tended sheep under his master, who was a high priest for the pagan Druids. Yet, through his six years in captivity, Maewyn remained loyal to God and consistently prayed -- sometimes over 100 times a day! Even more so, Maewyn saw through a vision that the people of Ireland were reaching out for help. Eventually, in 408 A.D., God told Maewyn that he needed to escape and, by convincing some sailors, managed to do just that. But, things took an unexpected twist for Maewyn. The ship Maewyn was on docked in France and was abandoned by the crew. The crew and Maewyn wandered over 200 miles for twenty-eight days, lost in France. Yet, Maewyn was reunited with his family and he got to return back home. Maewyn studied in Auxerre, France and was ordained as a bishop in 432 A.D. Still eager to minister to the people of Ireland, Maewyn was officially commissioned by Pope Celestine I to go to Ireland.

When Maewyn first arrived in Ireland, he was met with some hostility. According to one legend, one of the chieftains tried to kill Maewyn. But despite some of the hostility he encountered, Maewyn was able to preach and teach all the people of Ireland about Jesus. Maewyn introduced the pagans to Christianity by providing symbols of Christian theology, including the Celtic Cross. Additionally, Maewyn used visual teaching tools, such as a three-leaf clover, to illustrate doctrinal truths (e.g., the Trinity). Maewyn also helped existing missionaries in Ireland and founded churches in Ireland. Maewyn died in Saul, Ireland on March 17, 461 A.D., and his name was eventually changed to Patrick, becoming the patron saint of Ireland. Today, Patrick's legacy is widely celebrated on Saint Patrick's day.

The story of St. Patrick is a story that, if anything should inspire us to respond to God's calling. While we may not be called to preach to Druids, per se, we Christians are called to be the salt and light to this world. Consider your immediate sphere of influence. Who has God placed in your life that you could minister to? Where has God placed you that needs His light and hope? So many people are hungry for the Gospel, especially here in the West.

But, as Jesus said to His disciples, "The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few" (Matthew 9:37, WEB). While it would be inappropriate to assume that the Western church is not evangelizing, it is appropriate to say that not many Christians in the West are willing to be laborers for the harvest. So, we must "pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:38, WEB). That, of course, is us. Maewyn -- I mean, Patrick -- surely knew that going to Ireland was dangerous. After all, the pagans in Ireland participated in many harmful, occultic activities and rituals, such as the famous Burning Man ritual. Yet, as long as Patrick was alive and breathing, he knew that God was calling him to go to Ireland. The possibilities of harm or even death barely shook Patrick of his duty to share the Gospel to the Irish. And while Ireland today is mainly Christian, there still is work that must be done in Ireland. The same is true for us in the West today, especially here in America. Who will be the next Saint Patrick? Who will go and labor for the harvest? I will, and so will other brothers and sisters. Will you? This coming St. Paddy's day, may we commit to sharing the Gospel to all people today.