Saint Patrick wasn’t even Irish!

He was born around the year 385 in Britain to a Christian family. His father was a deacon, his grandfather a priest. As a boy, Patrick lived comfortably… until one terrible day.

At just 16 years old, Irish raiders kidnapped him, dragged him across the sea, and sold him as a slave. For six long years he herded pigs on a cold, lonely mountain in Ireland. Hungry, freezing, and far from home, young Patrick finally woke up to God.

He began to pray constantly - up to 100 times a day and night. He cried out to the Lord with tears, confessing his sins. And God heard him.

One night, a voice in a dream told him: “Your ship is ready.” Patrick escaped, walked 200 miles through danger, found a boat, and sailed home. His family rejoiced, thinking their nightmare was over.

But God had other plans.

In new dreams, Patrick heard the Irish people calling: “Holy youth, come walk among us again!”

After years of prayer, study, and preparation, the Church ordained him a bishop. With nothing but faith and the Cross, Patrick sailed back to the very island that had enslaved him.

He faced angry kings, powerful druid priests, and many dangers. Yet he never gave up. He preached the Gospel with love and power. Thousands were baptized. Churches and monasteries sprang up everywhere.

With a simple little shamrock, Patrick taught the deepest mystery of our faith: the Holy Trinity - one God in three Persons, just like the three leaves on one stem.

He drove out spiritual darkness from Ireland and filled the land with the light of Christ.

In his own humble words (from his Confessio), Patrick called himself “a sinner, the least of all believers,” giving all glory to Jesus who strengthened him.

He fell asleep in the Lord around the year 461, but his prayers continue today.

Holy Hierarch Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland and equal to the Apostles, pray to Christ our God that He may enlighten our hearts, strengthen our faith, and grant us His great mercy!

Glory to God for His saints! ☘️

Christ is King 110%

Here are the beautiful words of the St. Patrick’s Breastplate prayer:

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.
I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.
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,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.
I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

St. Patrick, pray for us ☘️

Sad!!!!

"Name Only"

Yea sure

Crazy.... they think we're dumb

CS Lewis was the man.

The Old Testament prophets did not speak into a vacuum. Each one had a specific audience, a specific king, and a specific crisis. Elijah confronted Ahab. Jeremiah watched Jerusalem fall. Ezekiel and Daniel ministered to exiles in Babylon. Knowing when a prophet spoke and to whom transforms how you read their words.

Why? Jewish expulsions across centuries.