From Patricius to St. Patrick: Part 2 - directions

This week we're looking at St. Patrick, a man who is probably more legend than substance in people's imagination. Many wild and colorful stories have grown up around him. But as is often the case with legendary figures, what they actually confronted and accomplished with their lives is probably more inspiring than the fantasy tales or so-called miracles attributed to them.


St. Patrick is no exception to this. His own story, found in his Confession bear this out. Patricius, as he was called in the Roman fashion, was an ordinary rebellious teenager, who was doing all he could to turn his back on the austere Christian faith of his parents. His father Calpurnius, was a deacon and his grandfather Potitus was a priest. Pause for a moment and take this in. Evidently in early Christianity (we are talking late 4th Century here) priests were allowed to marry and have children. An interesting thing for the Catholic hierarchy to ponder.

But moving on, Patricius describes being taken captive by marauding Irish pirates where he was put to work watching over the flocks of sheep that belonged to his captor. It was there that he contemplated his situation. He reflected upon the life he had led in Briton, and the faith he had neglected and spurned. In his contemplation of that faith, he began to grow closer to God, and a strange thing occurred: he began to pray. There on the hillsides of Ireland, with no one around to hear him but the wind and furry faced sheep, Patricius began to talk to God, and perhaps in the silences, the even more important part - he began to listen.

In time, a voice came to him that a boat awaited him - two hundred miles away! - and it would return him to his home. Patricius listened to that voice, and he left the sheep and his captor, and found the boat moored just as he had heard, and returned to his home, after many harrowing experiences, including being taken captive again for several months.


Patricius returned to his home changed by his experience. He had learned to call upon God and to trust in God's providence. He learned the power of prayer and of faith. He began to be regarded as a representative of Jesus Christ, for most of the people he encountered in his travels did not yet know of Jesus Christ. 


What had changed? The main thing was how he was directing his life. When he was taken captive, the pirate warlord directed the rudder of the ship to a foreign land. That same warlord directed Patricius to slavery tending sheep. but when Patricius allowed a different voice directing - the direction of God - to have way, then his life changed. 

This is the more amazing part of his story. As a brash and unruly youth, Patricius was full of himself. Does this sound like someone you might know? Like, maybe, you? Like, maybe, me? I can't help but think of all the various forms of slavery we fall into, many forms of which we aren't even cognizant. Our lives become placed under the direction of forces outside of us that don't have our best interests in mind, but their own interests. Only God has our best interests in mind, but we have to develop the attitude and aptitude for listening for God's direction. How many years of tending sheep will it take for each of us? 


Tomorrow: Directed to Return.


For further reading: "St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland"