St. Patrick left behind two documents from his own had, his Confession and The Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus. As well as informing us about the life of the saint, they offer some comments on some questions we may have as we seek to understand and deepen our faith in God.

Can God use difficult circumstances in life to make a person more aware of Him?

I was then about sixteen years of age. I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity to Ireland with many thousands of people… And there the Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might at last remember my sins and be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God,who had regard for my abjection… Hence I cannot be silent… about the great benefits and the great grace which the lord has deigned to bestow upon me in the land of my captivity… (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

Has there ever been a time in your life when God did not care about you?

The Lord my God had mercy on my youth and ignorance, and watched over me before I knew Him, and before I was able to distinguish between good and evil, and guarded me, and comforted me as would a father his son. (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

How should you handle being betrayed by a friend?

And when I was attacked by a number of my seniors who came forth and brought up my sins against my laborious episcopate, on that day indeed was I struck so that I might have fallen now and for eternity… But the more am I sorry for my dearest friend that we had to hear what he said. To him I had confided my very soul! And I was told by some of the brethren before that defence---at which I was not present…that he would stand up for me in my absence. But whence did it come to him afterwards that he let me down before all, good and evil, and publicly…So indeed I must accept with equanimity whatever befalls me, be it good or evil, and always give thanks to God, who taught me to trust in Him always without hesitation…. (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

Is there a personal cost in serving God and other people?

Whence was given to me afterwards the gift so great, so salutary---to know God and to love Him, although at the price of leaving my country and my parents?… Wherefore, then, even if I wished to leave them and go to Britain---and how I would have loved to go to my country and my parents, and also to Gaul in order to visit the brethren and to see the face of the saints of my Lord! I came to the people of Ireland to preach the Gospel, and to suffer insult from the unbelievers, hearing the reproach of my going abroad, and many persecutions even unto bonds, and to give my free birth for the benefit of others; and, should I be worthy, I am prepared to give even my life without hesitation and most gladly for His name, and it is there that I wish to spend it until I die, if the Lord would grant it to me. (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

What is the key to bearing such a cost?

It was not grace of my own, but God, who is strong in me…. God knows it…But I am bound by the Spirit… and I am afraid of losing the labour which I have begun---nay, not I, but Christ the Lord who bade me come here and stay with them for the rest of my life, if the Lord will, and will guard me from every evil way that I may not sin before Him. (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

Is it possible to forgive those who have hurt you?

Does this forgiveness that I have shown to the very people who once enslaved me and pillaged the male and female servants of my father's household come from within me? It was not by my own grace, but God who put within me this sincere care in my heart, that I should be one of His hunters and fishers of souls, whom God had long ago foretold would come in the end of days. (exerpt from the Letter to the Soldiers of Corroticus)

And I was not worthy, nor was I such that the Lord should grant this to His servant; that after my misfortunes and so great difficulties, after my captivity, after the lapse of so many years, He should give me so great a grace in behalf of that nation---a thing which once, in my youth, I never expected nor thought of. (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

Does prayer work?

And there one night I heard in my sleep a voice saying to me… `See, your ship is ready.' And it was not near, but at a distance of perhaps two hundred miles… I went in the strength of God who directed my way to my good, and I feared nothing until I came to that ship… But the captain was not pleased, and with indignation he answered harshly: `It is of no use for you to ask us to go along with us.' And when I heard this, I left them.... And as I went, I began to pray; and before I had ended my prayer, I heard one of them shouting behind me, `Come, hurry, we shall take you on in good faith…
And after three days we reached land, and for twenty-eight days we travelled through deserted country. And they lacked food, and hunger overcame them; and the next day the captain said to me: `Tell me, Christian: you say that your God is great and all-powerful; why, then, do you not pray for us?…I said to them full of confidence…nothing is impossible for Him, that this day He may send you food on your way until you be satisfied; for He has abundance everywhere.' And, with the help of God, so it came to pass: suddenly a herd of pigs appeared on the road before our eyes… And from that day they had plenty of food… (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

And there I saw in the night the vision of a man, whose name was Victoricus, coming as it were from Ireland, with countless letters. And he gave me one of them, and I read the opening words of the letter…And I was quite broken in heart, and could read no further, and so I woke up. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord gave to them according to their cry. (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

Does God speak?

And there one night I heard in my sleep a voice saying to me: `It is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country.' And again, after a short while, I heard a voice saying to me: `See, your ship is ready.'
And there I saw in the night the vision of a man, whose name was Victoricus, coming as it were from Ireland, with countless letters. And he gave me one of them, and I read the opening words of the letter, which were, `The voice of the Irish'; and as I read the beginning of the letter I thought that at the same moment I heard their voice …and thus did they cry out as with one mouth: `We ask thee, boy, come and walk among us once more.'
On that day, then, when I was rejected… in that night I saw a vision. There was a writing without honour against my face, and at the same time I heard God's voice saying to me: `We have seen with displeasure the face of Deisignatus' (thus revealing his name). He did not say, `Thou hast seen.' but `We have seen.' as if He included Himself, as He sayeth: He who toucheth you toucheth as it were the apple of my eye. (exerpt from St. Patrick's Confession)

CLICK HERE to read the original Confession

CLICK HERE to read the Letter to the Solders of Coroticus