St. Patrick Knew Whose He Was
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Like so many other sacred days, this one has been “watered… er, beered down” into a raucous celebration that has little to do with the man it honors. But if you strip away the green beer, the leprechauns, and the shamrocks plastered on pub walls, you’ll find a story worth remembering—a story of faith, perseverance, and an unshakable trust in God.
St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish. Born in Britain around AD 389, his life took a dramatic turn when, at 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery. For six years, he endured harsh conditions, tending sheep in a foreign land. But instead of allowing bitterness to consume him, he turned to prayer. He found solace and strength in the Lord. Then, miraculously, he escaped and returned home.
But freedom didn’t erase his burden. The very land that enslaved him now burned in his heart — not for revenge, but for redemption. Patrick answered God’s call, returning to Ireland as a missionary. Over the next 40 years, he planted over 200 churches and led more than 100,000 souls to Christ. He knew the power of transformation because he had lived it. “What the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good” (Genesis 50:20).
One of the most powerful symbols tied to St. Patrick is the shamrock. He used its three leaves to explain the mystery of the Trinity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Not three gods, but One. Not separate, but united. A perfect picture of divine relationship and love.
St. Patrick knew Whose he was. His prayer, often called St. Patrick’s Breastplate, reveals a man utterly consumed by God:
“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 hand to guard me.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me…”
He didn’t find his identity in his past, his hardships, or even his great mission. He found it in Christ alone.
And that’s the real takeaway for us today. Maybe your world has been shaken—a broken dream, a crumbling marriage, an unexpected diagnosis. Maybe you’re standing in the wreckage of something you thought God had planned for you.
In those moments, we must anchor ourselves in our identity in Christ. When everything shifts, He does not. Looks fade, jobs disappear, bank accounts rise and fall, and people come and go—but God remains. We are His. We belong to the King.
Psalm 16:8 declares, “I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
St. Patrick clung to that truth, and so can we. His life was marked by hardship, yet he trusted that God had a greater purpose. He walked into the unknown with boldness, believing that the One who called him would be faithful.
So today, wear your green, enjoy the celebrations, but remember—this isn’t just a day for parades and pints. It’s a day to honor a man who knew Whose he was. And when we know Whose we are, it changes everything.