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Patrick was born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387. In his sixteenth year, Patrick was carried off into captivity by Irish marauders where for six years he tended his master’s flocks. He relates in his “Confessio” that during his captivity while tending the flocks he prayed many times in the day:

“the love of God”, he added, “and His fear increased in me more and more, and the faith grew in me and the spirit was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers , and in the night nearly the same, so that whilst in the woods and on the mountain, even before the dawn, I was roused to prayer and felt no hurt from it, whether there was snow or ice or rain; nor was there any slothfulness in me, such as I see now, because the spirit was then fervent within me.”

After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. He returned where he devoted his life to teaching the Irish people about Christianity. He is credited with beginning over 300 churches and schools. Clearly, Patrick is a Joseph-like example of a man sold into slavery who later impacted the world.

St. Patrick’s Day Ideas

• Shamrocks – Use a 3 leaf shamrock to describe the Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• Irish Floats – Make “Irish Floats” for your family. Scoop lime sherbet into parfait glasses. Top with Sprite or your favorite lemon-lime soda.
• Key Lime Cake – The green layers in this cake are great for celebrating the Green!

Key Lime Cake

1 ½ c. Sugar

1 (3 oz.) Lime Jello

5 Eggs

1 ½ c. Oil

½ t. Vanilla

1 t. Lemon Extract

2 c. All-Purpose Flour

½ t. Salt

½ t. Baking Soda

1 t. Baking Powder

¾ c. Orange Juice

Sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together. Mix the oil and sugar and lime jello together. Add eggs, beating well after each. Add vanilla and lemon extract. Alternate adding flour mixture and orange juice, mixing well after each. Cut three wax paper inserts to fit three round cake pans. Grease the pans with Baker’s Joy then insert wax paper liner. Pour batter into the pans then bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.

Glaze

After baking layers, mix:

½ c. Lime Juice

1/3 c Confectioners Sugar

Leave layers in the pans. Prick warm cake with a fork then pour glaze over each layer. Allow layers to cool completely.

Frosting

1 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese

1 stick Margarine

4 c. Confectioners Sugar

1 t. Vanilla

1 c. Chopped Pecans

Mix all ingredients. Remove wax paper from cake layers. Frost between layers then the sides then the top.