On this weeks podcast we are joining in the national celebrations here in Ireland as we mark the solemnity of St Patrick and our national holiday. We are sharing a reflection from Fr Michael Liston who leads us through a short reflection on this weeks programme considering "this extraordinary man" Patrick who couldn't "stay silent because of all that God had done for him in His mercy" and what his example has for Irish people today.
We dig into the archive to share with your a 2012 reflection from Fr Michael.
Many of us know the story of his capture and years of captivity but when we read Patrick's own writings we hear of his instinctive turn to pray in a time of despair and how it leads to transformation for him in his life. Throughout his writings we see a man who is very conscience that the success of preaching the gospel in Ireland was not by a human being on his own but only successful by the grace of God. A human being with a great sense of gratitude to God and how God had loved him. In the middle of all his travails it comes across again and again that his heart could burst for gratitude and love of God because of the relationship of love that Patrick had for God.
Patrick's story reminds us of the power of the grace of God in the lives of people and how it can lead to change and betterment of people something which he had witnessed in his time in Ireland.
The feast day provides us with the opportunity to enable us to listen again to the still voice of God in our hearts following the example of Patrick who was convinced that God had personally spoken to him, allowing room for that communication to happen. Patrick calls us again to listen to the foundation of our lives which should be the Word of God which is still calling to us again.