Holidays With Honor
Lydia Pace
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Patrick: the Missionary  to Ireland


The original intent of this holiday had nothing to do with Leprechauns, rainbows, luck, or pots of gold.

It had everything to do with a man
used mightily by God
.

Historically Speaking...




   Saint = a person who is officially recognized by the Christian church as being very holy because of the way he or she lived
: a person who is very good, kind, or patient
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saint 

The original story of Saint Patrick (whose original name was Maewyn Succat) involves three countries: a home in Britain or Scotland, Ireland, and France and has all the components for a thrilling novel; the rebellious youth, pirate raiders, kidnapping, slavery, escape, travel to new countries, overcoming hatred and fear, life-changing decisions, confronting evil, incredible forgiveness, and victory.
   He wrote an autobiographical letter, as well; the "Confessio".
(See the History Channel short video link below.)

Patrick died on March 17, 461.

Very few people know that....
    "Despite the many myths little is known about Patrick. The only really liable source of information we have is his own writings. From these we discover he was from a very respectable home. His father was a deacon and also a Roman magistrate. His confession speaks of his parents living in Britain and he describes it as his “country”. Unlike many of his so called followers he was proud to be British.  He was most likely born in Kilpatrick in Scotland. At the age of sixteen he was taken captive by a marauding band and sold as a slave in Ireland. Being forced to tend sheep in county Antrim, after six years he eventually escaped. Shortly afterwards he saw in a dream a man from Ireland coming towards him bearing innumerable letters saying “we entreat thee holy youth, to come and walk henceforth among us”. Heeding this summons he came to Ireland not at the summons of the pope but at the call of God. In fact Patrick never mentions the pope in any of his writings nor did Pope Leo I ever mentioned him.
     He was not an  emissary of popery but the emissary of God. He came to call men and women to repentance and to faith in Jesus Christ. In this he was extremely successful. He saw many thousand of souls gloriously converted and turned from their idols....
1. His Conversion: Being carried away captive in his 16th year to Ireland he confessed he had departed from the Lord and had not kept his commandments. Tending sheep on the rugged slopes of Mount Slemish in  Co. Antrim conviction deepened in his heart. Knowing he would not be able to hide from the judgement seat of Christ he states in his confessions “I was converted with my whole heart unto the Lord my God”....
     The experience of Patrick was not that of the confessional but that of conversion. He was born again of the Spirit of God....
2. His Creed: The writings of Patrick are as important for what they do not say as for what they do say. While Rome glorifies the virgin Mary there is no trace of Mariolatry in any of his writings. As far as the popish doctrine celibacy is concerned his father and grandfather who were ecclesiastics were both married. Purgatory and the confessional are never mentioned. In fact if you read his writings you will discover that in his teachings he was distinctly Trinitarian and thoroughly evangelical.
3. His Conflict: Coming as a missionary to Ireland he not only experienced opposition from his own kin but also from the native Irish. His ministry was opposed on every hand. In his confession he said “daily I expect either slaughter, or to be defrauded, or reduced to slavery, or an unfair attack of some kind”. On one occasion one of the Irish kings seized him. Plundering his goods he had him placed in irons with the intention of killing him. However, the Lord miraculously intervening preserved his life. For the cause of Christ he faced persecution from within and without.
4. His Conclusion:  Facing the threat of death he had no fears. ... he said “we shall rise on that day in the clear shining of the sun, that is, in the glory of Jesus Christ our Redeemer”.



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MTkYRHqaQs
Music to read by - Celtic Music

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The Celtic Cross

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   "There is a legend of how St. Patrick when preaching to some soon-to-be converted heathens was shown a sacred standing stone that was marked with a circle that was symbolic of the moon goddess. Patrick made the mark of a Latin cross through the circle and blessed the stone making the first Celtic Cross. This legend implies that the Saint was willing to make ideas and practices that were formerly Druid into Christian ideas and practices. This is consistent with the belief that he converted and ordained many Druids to lives as Christian priests."
                             https://www.prayerfoundation.org/celtic_cross_history_and_symbolism.htm

But, not everyone agrees...

    "Unitarianism
is a Christian theological movement named for its understanding
of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism, which defines God as
three persons coexisting consubstantially in one being.[1] Unitarians maintain that
Jesus is in some sense the "son" of God but that he is not the one God.
[2] Unitarianism
is also known for the rejection of several other conventional Christian doctrines,[3]
including the soteriological doctrines of original sin and predestination,[4][5] and,
in more recent history, biblical inerrancy.
[6]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarianism


The One Who Defines,




Dominates


Druid  /ˈdruːɪd/ = A priest or minister of religion, among the ancient Celtic nations in Gaul, Britain and Germany.
http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/druid

Celt /kɛlt; sɛlt/  = a member of an Indo-European people who in pre-Roman times inhabited Britain, Gaul, Spain, and other parts of W and central Europe
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/celt

Missionary = One sent to propagate religion. Christian missionaries are called missionaries of the cross.
http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/missionary
Trinity = in theology, the union of three persons in one Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
http://webstersdictionary1828.com/


Where's Patrick?
  








"The Doctrine of the Trinity

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is one of the most important doctrines of the Christian faith.... We may define the doctrine of the Trinity as follows: God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God....
    In one sense the doctrine of the Trinity is a mystery that we will never be able to understand fully.  However, we can understand something of its truth by summarizing the teaching of Scripture in three statements:
1.  God is three persons.
2.  Each person is fully God.
3.  There is one God.
"  

https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/trinity-wayne-grudem

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The Legend of the Shamrock


Many years ago in Ireland
St. Patrick looked around
And noticed the tiny shamrocks
Covering the ground....
He picked one and closely studied it
And came to realize
What the three leaves on one shamrock
Might be said to symbolize...
One leaf to show the Father,
One leaf to show the Son,
One leaf to show the Holy Ghost -
The blessed Three-in-One -
And so that is the way
The shamrock came to be
The symbol to remind us
Of the Holy Trinity.


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Most, if not all, illustrations have their limitations. 

For example, the
3 leaf clover is not totally a precise image of the Trinity as understood through Scriptures. 

Since the mystery of the Holy Trinity goes beyond our brain's capacity to fully comprehend, faith is involved.

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A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

                    Probably not.

Reason for the Rainbow - Biblically


Genesis 9

12And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.
14Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature of every kind.
Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16And whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind that is on the earth.”
17So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and every creature on the earth.”

https://biblehub.com/bsb/genesis/9.htm

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Conversations Starters
  • In what country was Patrick born?
  • What led him to turn to God for help?
  • Did he give up and feel sorry for himself?  
  • What happened after his escape?
  • Did he spend his life telling others about the horrible life he had as a teenage victim? Why not?  
  • What kind of a life did the adult Patrick have in Ireland? 
  • What kind of teaching tools did he use?
  •  Describe his life in one word. 


Using Some Sense-able Ideas






Go to Pinterest site "Holidays With Honor" for more ideas.






See-able





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For a quick look at the story of Patrick, try the History Channel's video
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick
       (You can also, find recipes for corned beef hash and Irish stew.)






To read the story
go to:

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/patrick/about.htm




https://www.iampatrick.com/about/

Hear-able





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Resources for Listening....

Adventures In Odyssey

High quality audio plays by Focus on the Family provide hours of entertainment (and pain-free education).


Album: AIO - 31: Days to Remember
Episode: 394
Lesson/Theme: Hero of the Faith
Description:
Whit tells Jared DeWhite the story of Patrick, a slave boy who changed the history of an entire nation through his dedication to Jesus.


To download an audio of "Saint Patrick: A Heart Afire", Parts 1 and 2 from Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey:

https://www.adventuresinodyssey.com/episodes/394-saint-patrick-a-heart-a-fire-1-of-2/

Picture used with permission from Focus on the Family.
           .................................................................................................................................

           To hear the different letters
            written by Patrick go to: 

                            https://archive.org/details/collected_works_patrick_librivox


This audio is part of the collection: The LibriVox Free Audiobook Collection
It also belongs to collections: Audio Books & Poetry; Community Audio
Artist/Composer: Saint Patrick
Source: Librivox recording of a public-domain text
Creative Commons license: Public Domain


I Am Patrick: The Patron Saint of Ireland

Movie Trailer
Released 2020


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https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/irish-stew-recipe0-2124391
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https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/st-patricks-day-mint-shakes-3362525
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http://theirishmother.blogspot.com/2012/02/spotted-dog-aka-fruited-irish-soda.html

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http://www.messforless.net/2013/02/saint-patricks-day-craft-for-kids-make.html



Taste-able and Smell-able





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http://www.food.com/recipes/irish?pn=2
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https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/shepherds-pie-potato-bowls-4538897
For desserts... Irish Chocolate Cheesecake,
Mum's Irish Apple Pie, and
Shamrock Cookies, to name a few...

or simply add a few drops of green food coloring to cake batter and icing for festive cupcakes. 





           Do-able


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https://www.diys.com/st-patricks-day-crafts-for-kids/shamrock-wreath/

http://goldenreflectionsblog.com/2014/02/20-st-patricks-day-activities-for-kids.html

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http://www.foodideasrecipes.com/boards/20-easy-st-patricks-day-craft-ideas-you-must-need-in-2014.645/


http://3boysandadog.com/2013/02/free-12-st-patricks-day-activities-for-kids/
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St. Patrick’s Day Activity:    Photo Scavenger Hunt

Patrick was an evangelist.  He looked for people to help.  Sometimes people sought him out.
Soooo, what about a game looking for objects?

Make your scavenger hunt items suitable for your child/children and location. 
The list on this site is a bit extensive, but it's a great way to start to create your own set of clues.

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/10435/st-patricks-day-activity



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            May the road rise up to meet you,
             may the wind be ever at your back.
             May the sun shine warm upon your face
             and the rain fall softly on your fields.
            And until we meet again,
            May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.


                Irish Blessing

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"Students who take the time to read these creeds thoughtfully
will find that they provide excellent summaries of the doctrinal teachings of Scripture."
 

Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, p. 1168

THE NICENE CREED

(A.D. 321; revised at Constantinople A.D. 381)

    I believe in one God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

    And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
   
    And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Give of Life; who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets.  And on Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.  I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

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" Anything that refreshes you
without distracting you from,
diminishing, or
             destroying your final goal
is a legitimate pleasure in your life."


Ravi Zacharias, "Faith Under Fire – Christian Ethics in the Workplace", Part 2
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Photo Credits:
http://vicvapor.com/
http://bigbackground.com/
http://hdimge.com
http://www.loc.gov
http://www.happyholidays2014.com
http://www.reallyfreeclipart.com
http://www.mrwallpaper.com
http://www.pptbackgroundstemplates.com
http://freeholidaywallpapers.blogspot.com

http://commons.wikimedia.org

http://www.clipartpanda.com/categories/limitation-20clipart
https://www.printablee.com/post_shamrock-printable-clip-art_359236/
http://clipartmag.com/irish-clipart-free
http://www.clipartbest.com/trinity-symbol
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