Hope is never alone

Thought of the day: Fasting hopelessness 

Hope is never alone

On St. Patrick's day we are reminded of the story of a man who found hope when he thought he was alone. 

During Patrick's boyhood, the Roman empire was near collapse and too weak to defend its holdings in distant lands. Britain became easy prey for raiders, including those who crossed the Irish sea from the land known as Hibernia or Ireland. When Patrick was sixteen, he was seized by raiders and carried off to Ireland.

Most of what is known about St. Patrick comes from his own Confession, written in his old age. In his Confession he wrote about his capture:

After Patrick was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave by an Irish chieftain named Niall, he was sold to another chieftain in northern Ireland. Much of Patrick's time was spend alone on the slopes of Slemish Mountain, tending his master's flocks of sheep. During the long, lonely hours in the fields and hills of Ireland, Patrick found comfort in praying. In his Confession he wrote:

...
" every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed -- the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was moved so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers and almost as many in the night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountains; ... and I felt no harm, and there was no sloth in me -- as now I see, because the spirit within me was fervent."
"As a youth, nay, almost as a boy not able to speak, I was taken captive ... I was like a stone lying in the deep mire; and He that is mighty came and in His mercy lifted me up, and raised me aloft ... And therefore I ought to cry out aloud and so also render something to the Lord for His great benefits here and in eternity -- benefits which the mind of men is unable to appraise." 

St. Patrick found hope during his time of slavery. He was taught by God the power of the trinity. As he prayed from his spirit he connected with his savior who presented his lonely heart to the creator of the universe. In return God's peace flowed through the Son to the Spirt who lived within St. Patrick. He was being taught relationship, community and unity alone on the slopes of a mountain. I'm guessing the mountain was covered with shamrocks because he used them to illustrate to others the relationship of the trinity. The shamrock has one stem, but three leaves.. We are the stem that connects to the three; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Our hope is found in the Holy Spirit who is within us... We are never alone.

"I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you." John 16:12-15 MSG