I’m not great at forgiving. I usually need time to let the pain or anger dissipate before I am willing to re-connect with the person that hurt me. Sometimes I struggle with reappearing memories of the wrongs done, or I want to talk badly about the other person(s). It takes even longer for me to want to do good for that person. St. Patrick is a good example for me. Little is known of Patrick’s early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon and his grandfather was a priest in the Christian church.
At the age of sixteen, Irish raiders attacked his family’s estate, kidnapped him and took him captive to Ireland as a slave. He was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is not known. It is believed that he worked as a shepherd, and that he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devote Christian. Six years later, according to his confession, God told him in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied for years to enter the priesthood.
If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God
so as to teach these peoples;
even though some of them still look down on me.
Saint Patrick
In 432, he claimed that God called him back to Ireland, now as a bishop, to share God’s love with the Irish people – returning with a gift of good news to the country that had wronged him. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. After nearly 30 years of serving the Irish people, he died on the March 17, 461, and according to tradition, was buried at Downpatrick.
Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity, is held in esteem in the Irish Church, and his life and ministry are still celebrated today.
An amazing legacy… because he did not hold a grudge against a people… because he didn’t focus on the wrongs done but was willing to forgive and do good. I can learn a lot from St. Patrick.
Do you ever struggle with forgiveness? What helps you forgive?
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http://www.history.com/topics/who-was-saint-patrick http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick http://www.biography.com/people/st-patrick-9434729?page=1
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EL PERDON RINDE GRANDES FRUTOS YA QUE SAN PATRCIO DESPUES DE ENCONTRAR EL VARCO QUE LO ALEJARIA DE SUS CAPTORES, LO LLEVO A FRANCIA, PARA LUEGO REGRESAR A LA IRLANDA DONDE ESTABA EN CAUTIVERIO, LUEGO EN 30 AÑOS DE ARDUO TRABAJO LOGRA EVANGELIZARLA, ES EL PROCESO DEL PERDON.
YO NO HE ESTADO EN SITUACIONES DE PERDONAR, SINO REALMENTE DE SER PERDONADO, EN MI PROGRESO CRISTIANO ANTES DE RECIBIR EL PEDON DE CRISTO HICE COSAS BASTANTE MALAS AL PROJIMO Y AMI MISMO (SEGURO SIGO HACIENDO COSAS ALGUNAS POR ERROR). AHORA CON LAS GENTES QUE CONVIVO ME SEÑALAN CONSTANTEMENTE A MI ESPALDA “MIRA AHORA ES CRISTIANO”, “MIRA LO QUE HACE”, “MIRA COMO PIEZA, “CHECA COMO ACTUA”, LES COMPARTO DE MI FÉ EN CRISTO Y SIN BASILAR ME JUZGAN.
EN LA OFICINA DONDE TRABAJO ES ALGO SIMILAR, PERO MIS JEFES TRATAN DE MANIPULARME PARA CREARME CONFLICTOS, MIS COMPAÑEROS TRATAN DE APROVECHAR MI CONDICION CRISTIANA PARA DESPUES SEÑALAR MI ACCIONES CUANDO NO HAGO LO QUE ELLOS ESPERAN. ESTOY TRANQUILO POR QUE SE QUE LE RINDO CUENTAS A DIOS Y SE QUE ME JUZGAN CONFORME A SU NATURALEZA.
ALGUNOS COMPAÑEROS SABEN DE MI HONESTIDAD, EN EL TRABAJO ES UNO SOMETIDO A GRANDES CARGAS DE ESTRES LABORAL Y CON LA GENTE QUE CONVIVO FUERA DE LA OFICINA SON GENTE BUENA MUY RENUENTE A CONVERSACIONES CRISTIANAS Y LAS DIFICULTADES QUE TENGO SON: QUE COMO ELLOS ME CONOCIENRON, YA NO LO SOY. LO QUE TENEMOS EN COMUN POR DECADAS ES EL GUSTO POR EL HEAVY METAL Y DE AHÍ HE ENCONTRADO SIN QUERER UN BUEN CAMINO PARA COMPARTIR MI FE CRISTIANA.
OTROS AMIGOS ME CRITICAN FUERTEMENTE POR QUE NO TENGO LO QUE CUALQUIER PERSONA A MI EDAD DEBERIA TENER Y EN OCASIONES REGRESO A CASA TRISTE. PERO ORANDO EN LA SOLEDAD DE MI HABITACION, SALGO CON ARGUMENTOS POSITIVOS PARA SEGUIR VIVIENDO Y COMPARTIRLES NO IMPORTANDO QUE A SUS OJOS NO SEA LA PERSONA IDONEA PARA HABLARLES DE DIOS, TENGO MUCHA FÉ EN CRISTO QUE ESTO CAMBIE PARA BIEN CUANDO EL LO CREA NECESARIO.
GRACIAS POR RECORDARME LA HISTORIA DE SAN PATRCIO, TENGO CONOCIDOS QUE GUSTAN DE LA MUSICA CELTA PAGANA Y AHORA TENGO MAS ARGUMENTOS PARA PLATICALES DE CRISTO, ESPERANDO CLARO EL MOMENTO IDONEO; COMO YO LO VEO HACE FALTA ALGUIEN QUE LES HABLE DE CRISTO Y NADIE ME QUITA LA IDEA QUE YO PUEDO SER, PARA QUE NO TENGAN PRETEXTOS QUE NADIE LES COMPARTIÓ EN SU TRANSITAR POR ESTA EXISTENCIA.
SALUDOS, STAY CRISTO, STAY HEAVY.
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