Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick was responsible for bringing Christianity to much of Ireland when at the time it was almost entirely pagan. He was not Irish, but was Scottish, from a town near Glasgow. He was brought as a slave to Ireland as a teenager, and then returned on his own as an adult to bring the gospel of Christ to a lost country. He wasn't a "saint"  in the strict sense of the word, as he was never canonized. But he was a "saint" as the Bible would call him because he was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. 

Because of his missionary journeys through Ireland and his teaching the gospel, many Irish people became Christians.

Patrick wrote a poem of his faith and trust in Christ called "The Breastplate."

"Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, 

Christ in hearts of all that love me, 

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger." 

He had a ministry to Ireland that lasted 29 years, baptizing over 120,000 Irish people and planting 300 Christian churches!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all, especially my youngest son, whose middle name is Patrick after this great missionary.  Thomas Patrick, may you one day proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as boldly as your namesake, and that other great Scottish preacher, your Grandpa Jim Kirkwood!

Irish cross