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As I started to 
read it was as if I 
could hear the voices 
of the people. . . . 
‘We implore you, 
O holy boy, to come 
here and be with us. 
 
St. Patrick, “Confessio”

Let us trust the Lord
When Patrick was a young man, he was abducted by Irish pirates and sold into slavery to a sheep farmer. There in the sheep fields of Ireland, Patrick found God. Eventually, Patrick ran away, got on a ship, returned to his family in Britain, and took up the study of theology.
 
One night he had dream in which he was handed a letter from the people of Ireland begging him to return and teach them about God. So Patrick returned to the Emerald Isle as an ambassador for Christ.
 
With his love for the people of Ireland and his passion for the Lord, Patrick was incredibly successful in sharing the gospel. Over his thirty-six years in ministry, he baptized thousands of people, founded dozens of churches across Ireland, and trained and ordained at least as many priests. 
 
Like Joseph, Patrick's life is a lesson in how what man intended for harm, God intended for good. Today, St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is extravagantly celebrated both in Ireland and Irish American enclaves on
March 17.
Breathe
 
Inhale: you work for my good
 
Exhale: I trust in your love
 
of Romans 8:28
Pray
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.
Excerpt from the Breastplate of St. Patrick
Sing
Learn
Unsurprisingly, knowing the Irish language and understanding the Irish pagan beliefs made Patrick an excellent missionary. He is probably most famous for teaching the doctrine of the Trinity with the help of the ubiquitous three-leaf clover.  Professor Joshua J. Mark notes:
 
[The concept of] a supernatural being represented in three aspects was well known in Ireland. The ancient goddesses Eriu, Fodla, and Banba… were, in effect, three aspects of the spirit of the land. The goddess Brigid, likewise, was represented as three sisters who embodied the life force through healing, creativity, and productivity. The story of St. Patrick and the shamrock would have reflected how St. Patrick drew upon the spiritual and physical world the Irish knew to explain the gospel in familiar terms.
 
While the shamrock is an imperfect analogy for the Trinity, it was nonetheless effective in helping communicate the mystery of God to the Irish. 
 
St. Patrick's Day would be a most appropriate day to discuss the Trinity with your children. Grab a Trinity coloring page below and enjoying marveling at the mystery of our triune God together!

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