Ireland's Church Planter: Saint Patrick

Patrick was born in Britain around 360 A.D. When he was 16 years old, Irish pirates kidnaped him. The pirates sold him as a slave to a local king.

Patrick did not understand the language spoken in Ireland. This made his masters very angry. Sometimes they would beat him because he could not understand their instructions.

Patrick had to work hard. He took care of the king's sheep. He had no house or apartment and no soft bed. Instead, he lived outside on the mountain night and day. Patrick also had no one to talk or to play with. He was sad and lonely.

While caring for the sheep, Patrick came to know God. Patrick had heard about God from his Christian grandfather. Alone on the mountain, he talked to God.

After six years of slavery, Patrick escaped and returned to Britain. Soon, God called Patrick to return to Ireland as a missionary.

Patrick obeyed. At first, the Irish people did not want to hear about God. They worshiped many false gods. To worship a false god is to worship Satan. Satan does not want people to believe in the true God. Satan tried to stop Patrick from telling the Irish people about the true God. Sometimes these followers of Satan put Patrick in prison.

But God is stronger than Satan. God let Patrick rest in the prisons. When Patrick had rested, God freed him to tell more people about the true God. All over Ireland, people listened to Patrick. They turned from their false gods and Satan to the one true God. Thousands accepted God's Son Jesus Christ as their Savior. They were baptized. Hundreds of churches also started. A church is a place to worship God and to learn more about him.

For thirty years, Patrick told people about the one true God. When he was an old man, he was amazed by how God had worked through him. He wrote, "Those who never had a knowledge of God, but worshiped idols and impure things have now become a people of the Lord, sons of God."

Patrick died in Ireland March 17, 460 A. D., but his work continued. Within one hundred years, Ireland had become a Christian nation. In fact, Ireland sent missionaries to the rest of Europe. The land which once enslaved him, he had set free.

Vocabulary

Do you know what the following words? If not, look them up in your English dictionary now, or click here to look them up online.

                baptize                 escape

                false                     follower

                God                     god

                idol                      impure

                kidnap                 master

                missionary            pirate

                prison                  Satan

                slave                    slavery

                worship

Short Answer

1. Where was Patrick born?
   
   

2. How old was he when he went to Ireland?
   
   

3. Did Patrick want to go to Ireland the first time?
   
   

4. What made Patrick's masters angry?
   
   

5. How old was Patrick when he left Ireland the first time?
   
   

6. Why did Patrick go back to Ireland?
   
   

7. Who is stronger, God or Satan?
   
   

8. What happened in Ireland because of Patrick's work?

Sentence Completion I

Using the vocabulary words listed, complete the following sentences.

1. ____________ sold Patrick as a slave.
   
   

2. Because he was a ____________, Patrick had to work very hard.
   
   

3. When his ____________ were angry, they would beat Patrick.
   
   

4. Patrick ____________ and returned to Britain.
   
   

5. God called Patrick to return to Ireland as a ____________.
   
   

6. The Irish people worshiped ____________ gods.
   
   

7. In Ireland, Patrick ____________ thousands of people.
   
   

8. Patrick also started hundreds of ____________.

Sentence Completion II

Using the vocabulary words listed, complete the following sentences.

1. Before the Civil War, there were many ____________ in the United States.
   
   

2. We went to ____________ last Sunday.
   
   

3. Many people who break the law go to ____________.
   
   

4. A young child was ____________ from the park.
   
   

5. An ____________ is a false god.
   
   

6. The ____________ of the great leader obeyed him.
   
   

7. A ____________ told us about God.
   
   

8. We could not drink the water at the lake because it was ____________.
   
   

Discussion Questions:

1. Has slavery ever been a part of your country's culture? Is slavery still legal in your country? Is slavery good or bad? Why?
   
   

2. Have you ever been to a country where you could not speak the language? If so, where were you? Were most people friendly or unfriendly? Did anyone become angry because you could not speak the language? What did he or she do?
   
   

3. Have you met people in your country who cannot speak your language? How do you usually treat these people? How can you communicate without words?