Extinguishing Human Sacrifice, Slavery, Chaos: Who Was the Real St. Patrick?

An author and filmmaker on a mission to inspire was deeply intrigued a few years ago when he stumbled upon St. Patrick’s writings and discovered some powerful, unexpected words. Aaron Burns, like many, didn’t know much about the historical religious figure. He was, of course, familiar with the shamrocks, leprechauns, and other secular imagery that often accompanies St. Patrick’s Day.

But after a journey of discovery — and a deep dive into the real-life figure’s incredible life of overcoming slavery, forgiving, and spreading the Gospel against all odds — he ended up writing an entire book about Patrick titled, “Praying with Saint Patrick: Prayers and Devotions Inspired by the Irish Hero of the Faith.” “Growing up, I didn’t know if he was any more real than Robin Hood or King Arthur … he’s just some kind of a leprechaun with a green hat, and beer, and all this kind of stuff,” Burns said. “But then I read these two letters that he wrote and was just blown away by the character and the story of the man.”

The movie-maker said his exploration drove him to uncover some powerful facts about Patrick, who was born in Scotland in AD 387 and died March 17, 461, explaining that Patrick grew up in a Christian home with a father and grandfather who were faith leaders. These men shared God’s love with Patrick — but he wasn’t interested in faith until a bit later in life. “At age 16, he’s kidnapped by Irish pirates, and then spent seven years as a slave in Ireland,” Burns said. “It’s in that time when he’s a slave that God starts to work in his heart, and says he remembers the things he was taught, and his heart is transformed … He eventually escapes and makes his way back home.”

Despite finding freedom back at home and outside of his Irish slaveholders’ grasp, Patrick ended up feeling called to do something pretty remarkable: show God’s love to his former captors. Thus, he embarked on a missionary journey to reach “pagan barbarians.” This meant leaving the safety of his home and heading back to the very place where he was held captive for six years. “In his letters, he lays out the case. … [He says] ‘God’s love is for everyone and that is why I’m doing these things,'” Burns said. “And so he goes back across to the island of Ireland, and brings the Gospel with him.”

And Patrick’s influence ended up being quite massive. “In the course of his lifetime, you see this transformation take place — that the human trafficking that Patrick was a victim of is eradicated, the human sacrifice that was practiced by the Celtic religion at the time is largely wiped out.” What followed was a golden age of sorts, with Ireland suddenly sending out missionaries and teachers. Patrick’s efforts to bring faith the Ireland left Burns deeply inspired. Watch him explain.

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