Saint Who?
Saints Who Taught about Prayer
Saint Patrick
Bishop († c. 461) Feast: March 17
The Apostle of Ireland was not born in Ireland. After escaping from slavery, he returned to his native Britain. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the Irish people who did not know that Jesus Christ had died to save them. After becoming a monk and a priest, Patrick went back to Ireland and spent the rest of his life as a missionary and a bishop.
Late in Patrick’s life, it appears that some British bishops questioned his credentials. He responded by writing his Confessio, in which he recounts the important events of his life. Patrick constantly uses Sacred Scripture to express himself, demonstrating that the words of the Bible and the love of God were deeply rooted in his heart.
Some argue that Patrick did not write the famous Lorica, or Breastplate, that is commonly attributed to him. However, he certainly inspired the Irish people to pray like this: “Christ ever with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me/ Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me/ Christ to my right side, Christ to my left/ Christ in his breadth, Christ in his length, Christ in depth,/ Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,/ Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me.”
Lord Jesus Christ, may we sing of your salvation
to the ends of the earth.
