“ . . . I do not know what to lament more: those who have been slain, or those whom they have taken captive, or those whom the devil has mightily ensnared. Together with him, they will be slaves in hell . . .”
Patrick knew the danger he faced from the barbarian Picts who hated his message and sought his ruin.
He knew the horror of tribal wickedness, of leaders that took raiding parties into villages where new believers were gathering in growing numbers, showing no mercy to women or children, as none had been shown to him.
He never discounted the scope of their godlessness, but Patrick knew one thing more. He knew that he had been a slave among those who had been taken captive to the will of the devil, and without sickly sentiment, he never stopped holding out to them the Word of Life. (2 Timothy 2:26)
Patrick knew the danger, and he knew his adversaries, and Patrick knew that perfect love casts out fear.
We in Cor Unum have suffered some of the dangers of life and have been face to face at times with those who have truck with wickedness and are slaves to it. Whenever and wherever the devil has made minions of those whom God knit together in a mother’s womb, perfect love for them, redeeming, delivering love for them, will deliver us from fear.
Just as it was for us, God knows how to love the most vile, the most depraved, the most bitter, the most fearsome among men, and He will love them while they hate and revile Him. All those appointed unto eternal life will be won to the mercy and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
This, Patrick knew. Patrick chased the “snakes” out of Ireland, the biting, poisonous barbarians, so utterly without compassion or conscience. Many of them left by way of faith in the Lord Patrick loved.
It is said in legend that Patrick used a shamrock to portray the Holy Trinity, and it does rather sound like him! Let us in Cor Unum wear in our souls the “shamrock” of those three elements that abide forever: FAITH, HOPE and LOVE, the greatest of which is LOVE.
"God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear"
photo by Kerry
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