What Does St. Patrick Teach Us About Lent?

The Spiritual Practice of Prayer & Fasting + Visio Divina with Bette Dickinson

Monday is St. Patrick’s Day, and as we journey through our Seeds of Hope series for Lent, I can’t think of a better figure to model for us the Lenten practices of prayer and fasting than St. Patrick.

On Ash Wednesday, Patrick, the beloved apostle of Ireland, ascended Croagh Patrick and spent 40 days in prayer in fasting, mirroring Christ's time in the wilderness. On that mountain, he wrestled in prayer, contending for the spiritual renewal of a nation. His fasting wasn’t just an act of personal piety but a surrender — a pouring out of himself to make space for God’s transformative presence.

Legend tells us that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, casting out a spirit of evil and darkness driving snakes and demons out of Ireland from here. It is said he threw them all into Demon's Hollow or Log na nDeamhan, a lake at the north base of Croagh Patrick.

His time of fasting and prayer became a form of spiritual warfare, clearing the wilderness of his soul and the land he served. This wilderness was not a place of abandonment but of encounter — a sacred space where God met Patrick in his weakness and filled him with divine strength.

An Invitation to Wilderness

Lent invites us into our own wilderness, where we step away from the noise of life to face the deserts of our hearts. It is in this quiet, untamed space that God can reveal what needs to be healed, pruned, or released - in us, and in our world.

If you’re longing to walk deeper into the Celtic Christian tradition, I also want to share an opportunity to experience this journey firsthand. The Celtic Way Digital Pilgrimage through InterVarsity Study Abroad is a beautiful way to explore the landscapes and stories that inspired this painting series. Learn more and join the pilgrimage here.

I don’t know about you, but when I look at the news, it’s hard for me to see past the physical, tangible experiences of political leaders abusing their power. But, I often forget that behind every act of violence, evil, and injustice, are spiritual forces that I cannot change by waging war against them.

As Paul says,

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
- Ephesians 6:12

I wonder — in the midst of our world crying out in darkness, what it might look like to wage war against these rulers and authorities through prayer and fasting?

How might we shift our attention from gut-responses out of fear or anger, into concerted prayer, contending for the soul of our nation like St. Patrick did?

In prayer and fasting, could we uncover a kind of power that is not of flesh and blood, but wholly other than and different from the powers of the world, yet has the capacity to cast out evil?

When Patrick descended the mountain, he didn’t return to life as usual. His wilderness experience was not an end but a beginning — a launching point for a life on mission with Jesus infused with love.

Reflect:

1. During this Lenten season, what might it look like to enter into a practice of prayer and fasting for your nation?

2. What holy work could He birth in the hidden places of your soul that leads you into a life infused with love?

As you reflect on Patrick’s story of Croagh Patrick through the visio divina exercise below, consider where God might be calling you to draw on his power through prayer and fasting. May our time in the wilderness, like Patrick’s, become a sacred preparation to carry the light of Christ into a world longing for hope.

Visio Divina

Prompts

1. Take a few deep breaths and let your body and mind slow down. As your eyes move through the painting, notice - what catches your eye? Do one of the panels draw your attention? Focus on that portion of the work and sit with it for a minute.

2. What thoughts or feelings does this painting evoke?

3. Become aware of God’s loving presence towards you right now. Is there something He wants you to see? To hear?

4. What kind of prayer rises from within you as you ponder it?

An Invitation into a Guided Visio Divina Practice

Unlock the full 5 minute guided visio divina meditation video below.