The Kidnapping and Adventures of Maewyn Succot

For those who were at service on Sunday, March 17th, 2013, a few bullet points to jog your memory. To read the complete text of "The Kidnapping and Adventures of Maewyn Succat" click here.

·        “Fear not, I am with you and will bless you.” (Genesis 26:24)

·        Maewyn Succat lived in Britain in the waning days of being ruled by Rome.

·        Both his father and grandfather held positions of local power: Grandad was a Priest and Dad was a Deacon in the church

·        Maewyn, a wild and disorderly child had no interest whatsoever in the church.

·        At about age 16, in the early 400’s, Maewyn was captured by an Irish raiding party, taken to Ireland, and sold into slavery.

·        Maewyn tended sheep on a mountainside, living outside with the animals every day and night in every kind of weather.

·        Alone (his captors were present but he was away from everyone and everything he knew) and lonely, bible verses, long forgotten prayers and homilies began to surface in his mind.

·        It was during this time that Maewyn turned to prayer. Later on he would write that he prayed 100 times a day, and almost as much at night, to escape and return home.

·        One night in a dream he was told he should escape now, make his way to the coast and find a ship back to Britain. Though the journey was perilous, he felt protected.

·        After six years in captivity and back in Britain, God’s grace had solidified his faith. He began to study in the monastery.

·        Some years later he had a dream in which he was given a handful of letters. He opened one and it read, “The Voice of the Irish.” The letter spoke to him and said, “Holy boy, please return to us, we need you.”

·        Many more years passed before the church allowed him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Maewyn was made a Bishop and given the Christian name, Patrius (Patrick).

·        Patrick spread the word of Christianity all across Ireland. Despite the fact that he was arrested and imprisoned 12 times (and escaped 12 times) he established monasteries, schools, planted 300 churches, and baptized over 120,000 Irish men and women.

·        Saint Patrick was an “over-comer.”

·        “Over-comers” are people just like you. They have challenges in their own lives but do not stop at the meeting of the challenge. They always see from a higher awareness.

·        What are you facing? Does it seem to be too big for you? Can you go beyond your humanness and ask God’s help?

·        Turn to that accessible power that is available to each of us from God and continue forward over, under, around or through your challenge, large or small.

·        “Fear not, I am with you and will bless you.” (Genesis 26:24)