Why a Shamrock?


St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387.  His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britain..

Around the age of fourteen, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland (at this time a land of Druids and pagans) as a slave to herd and tend sheep.  There, he learned the language and practices of the people who held him.

During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He wrote:
"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same...I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britain, where he reunited with his family.

After a dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more", he began his studies for the priesthood.

He preached and influenced all of Ireland for 40 years. He is said to have worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461 at Saul where he had built the first church.

Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God encourages me to be totally devoted to God.  He feared nothing, not even death, so complete was his trust in God  and commitment to his mission!

Why a shamrock?
According to this source, Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and it has been associated with him and the Irish since that time.

10 comments:

  1. Thank you for such an interesting post on such a good, godly man. I really enjoyed it and always love reading about the saints. I find it so inspiring and really a blessing to have such examples of faith to learn from.
    Just a little side note, I love your quotes at the side of your blog, all of them. Especially the one by J.C Ryle.
    Hope that you have a beautiful day today!

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  2. Blessings on your St. Patrick's day.....thanks for sharing this post...

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  3. Hope you have an awesome St. Patty's Day!
    Hugs,
    andrea

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  4. I guess I never knew that history before. Thanks for sharing it.

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  5. Very inspiring, Rebecca. I had heard bits and
    pieces of this, not all. What a godly man.
    Very enjoyable.

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  6. Wow, thanks for sharing this. Happy St. Patricks Day.

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  7. Thanks for the research...It is amazing to read about the committment to the Lord these Godly people have. Happy St. Patrick's Day my friend.

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  8. Rebecca, This is such an inspiring post. Thank you for sharing all of this information. I truly enjoyed reading it.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  9. Loved the history lesson; I've heard it before, but it never grows old to me. Love the shamrock interpretation as well!

    peace~elaine

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  10. I enjoyed your post. Hope you had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day.

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Writing a Song a Week #3

Writing a Song a Week #3
♪ I wait for the Lord; my soul waits and in his word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning ♪ (Psalm 130:5-6)