St. Patrick's Day and the Serpent

St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. When he was sixteen, he was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders as they were attacking his parents’ estate. They took him to Ireland to work as a shepherd, and he spent six years there in captivity. All alone and very afraid, he turned to God to console him. After six years as a prisoner, as it says in his writings, he heard a voice calling to him and telling him that it was time to leave Ireland.

After returning to Britain, he reported that he had a second revelation, an angel telling him that he needed to return to Ireland, but this time as a missionary. He studied religion for more than fifteen years. After he was ordained as a priest, he was sent on a dual mission to Ireland to minister to the Christians already living in Ireland and to convert the Irish. It has been known to many that Patrick was responsible for driving the snakes out of Ireland. The pagan symbol was a snake. But, in actuality, it was paganism that he drove out. He is believed to have died on March 17, the day of St. Patrick’s Day.

People all over the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. People wear green on this holiday, and pinching those who do not. Chicago dyes there river green for two weeks on this holiday! Some symbols that have been associated with St. Patrick’s Day are the shamrock, the rainbow, the pot of gold, goblins, elves and trolls, the leprechaun.




The Bible says in Genesis 3:11,
“And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” (KJV)

The enemy beguiled Eve into disobeying God’s will for her life and she ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And just as St. Patrick drew out the serpents in Ireland we must drive out the serpents that beguile us in every day life.