PANEGYRIC OF ST PATRICK AT SYDNEY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 49, 10 April 1896, Page 6

PANEGYRIC OF ST PATRICK AT SYDNEY.

MONSIGNOR VEBDON AT ST MARY'S CATHED AL.

(Catholic Prr^s). On Sunday evening (M&ich 22nd) in Sc Mary's Cathedra', at Vesperp ( the Bey Father Cregan acted as ce.ebrant. At Benediction of the Holy Sacrament the celebrant was the Cardinal Archbishop. The panegyric of St Patrick was delivered by the Bight Rev Monsignor Verdon, Bishop-designate of Dunedia. The right rev preacher tcok his test from Genesis (50 h chapter, 20th verse) — words sprken by tbe Patriarch Joß°ph in answer to the petition for mercy addressed to him by his brothers some little time after the death of cis father. His brothers had used Joteph cruelly. They were jealous of their father's favour towards him, and feared

lest he should be ixa tea i.bo^e iheno, >ceordmg to bis own prediction. Thty had put him out ot tbe way, se ling him as a slave to some merchaute wio were j >urneying to Kg\p'. But God had raised him up and pi Cid h.m over hd realm of E ; pt. From being a slave he bad become the saviour of the nutions aud the generous protector of bus brothers who had suld him By a similar disposition of Divine Providence St fatr.ck bad Oeeu raised up to be the Apostle of Ireland. We see him rased up from a duwnc »st position, and prepired by slavery <o become the de'iverer of tl c land of his exild and to attain to a more tfc<*u regal emioei.ce. bistonaLS tell us teat St Patrick was born in the north of France, in the yt ar 388, of Christian parents. He himself tells us that they were noble and wealthy. H's earlier years, tl erefore, were a time of proepeii'y and happiness, When be was about sixteen years of age he fell into the hands of pirates— cruel ravagers of his native coun ry — and by them he was carried to Ireland and sold as a slave to a p ;tty prii o resid. ing in what is now the County Antrim. Tnid gentle, nob'e-born yontb, tbus torn from his home and add into slavery, was subjected to great misery. It was a source to him, nevertheless, of great blessings. In h;s earlier years at home he had been forgt tful of his God. He himself tells us that be had been attrae'ed by the pleasures of the world. He was dragged away into slavery, with others--, he says, as they deserved. But now his misery opens his eyes to the tru h. He learns to put his confiaence in Gjd, and makes his con. etant prayer to the Lor^, who has touched his heart and has converted him. A short time before he hai been forgetful of God. Now tbe long hours of the day were not sufficient for t lm. He prolonged his prayer into the oighr, and iose before the dawn to pray. He endured the winter b ast, »nd the snow and frost, Bustaued by the fire of divine chanty. So passed six years of his life, enduring hardships, yet oveifljwing with conteutmtnt and receiving heavenly graces. It then pleased God to restore him lrjm hiß wanderings. He found the means to escape, and stood once more at home, surrounded by hia iriends. They tntnated him to remain with them, remindiog him of his riches and happiness. But God intended bim for a higher destiny. He destined him to become an Apostle. Pa rick renounced

wealth and home and friendi that he might follow Christ. Dating the years of his exile he had noticed many noble tr.ita in the Irish people which had touched a ejmp thetic chord in his heart. Tbera hag always brea scnuth.it g attrac'ive in the noble, open-hearted nature of tba Irish people. It Rrieved St Patrick's heart to see this noble r .cc the thves of sin, and he devoted himself to the work of their cjnversion. God manifested His will that he should devote himself to this work. Patrick seemed to hear the voices of the young Bnd old calling him to their assistance. The children seemed to stretch forth their hands to him. He tells dp, in his " Confessions," thaf, in a drer.ni, an old man of veneiable aspect presented him with a bundle of letters. He opened one to read it, and it contained the voices of the Irish people, entreat* ing the holy youth to come and work among them. His heart was touched, and he did not read any more. He was touchrd to think how so noble a lace was eunk in beathenifm, and he prayed that Gqd would give him grace to labour among thim His heart wis touched and he devoted himself to the great work. Nothing in the world would prevent him from following bis devotion. But, though be believed that God had destined him for this woik, he did not rush to uuderteka it. He wsh mindful of tbe word of the Apostle, that they could not preach unless they were sent. He resolved to place himse f under the teaching of the masters of the spiritual life, and to wait until he was sent by tbe Pope. He .placed himself under the direction of St Germanus of Auxerre, and remained with him for some years, drawing from that source devction and the practice of every virtne. Then he repaired to Rome, and was commissioned by Pope Celestine to undertake the labour. He went back to Ireland in tie year 432, when he was forty-four years of age. Divine Providence had watched over hijc, and prepared the way for bis mission. In the days of his slavery he had learned tbe language and become familiar with the customs of the people. By his suffering he bad prepared his heart for his mission. God watched over him with loving ere, enabled him to escape, aod inspired him with the holy tr ought,

Divine Providence watches over us, too, iq our Bufferings, Our greatest trials may be blessings in disguise, and productive of good for us. In all our 'roubles let ua put our trust in Gad, and we shall never be confounded. 8t Patrick began his mission in a fpjt in the County Wicklow, wberj a year betore Pelagiua had vainly tried to preach. But the Saint did not stay long there. He went away and lauded at a place in the Coanty Djwa, where he converted a petty prince and built a church After some months be resolved to attack the chief strongt old. The king and princes and nobles were assembled at Tara when St Patrick tntered ibe County Meatb. It was Kaster eve and he lit his paschal fire to keep the feast. All the fires in the country had been txtingaished at the time and it was a crime to kindle one unil tbe fire of the Druidg bad been rekindled. They saw the flame thit was kindled by Si Patrick and the bold offender was summoned to the royal preience. He went there with an intrepid step and stooi bjfore ths king. The Druids called oat for his punishment, but there w*s something awe-inspiring id his preeence. He upbraided the Druids for their deceit, and proved their falsehood. He spoke to ihts assembly of tbe Holy Trinity, and the other truths of the Christian religion. The grace of God was with him, and the Queen and some of the nobles were converted. The Kmg permitted 8t Patrick to preach the Gospel throughout the realm. Wherever he went he was received as the envoy of heaves. As he entered their palaces noble parents offered him their children to confecrate to God. Tbe Druids offered him opposition and stirred up stotnis and plotud against bim. But all in vainAlmighty God protected him. In a few years 8t Patrick stood once more before the King and n >blea in Tara. There bad been a notsb'.e change ; idolatry had almost disappeared. Ha was accompanied by a number of bishops, who took their place among the council. It bad been convened in order that the laws of the kingdom might be reformed, and that every trace of idolatry might be swept away. St Patrick laboured for sixty years in Ireland. Seven times he visited every province in the country, and six times he did bo on foot. Ha ordained 3,000

priests and consecrated 300 bishops. He dedicated 700 churchep, and established many monasteries ot monks and nuns. But we cinnot be astonished at his saccess when we remember the holiness of his life and the earnestness of his seal. After all tbe labour of tie day be epent the night in prayer. His bed was tbe ground, his pillow a stone ; he bore tbe coldness of tbe winds ; he plunged his body into frozen water, and remained there for hours, sustained by (he fire of divine charity. He endured long fasts, and abstained entirely from every kind of flesh meat. It need not astonish us if St Patrick worked wonders and performed many miracles. At length it pleased God to call his faithfnl servant home. In the place where be had dedicated his first church, there he gave up his soul to God. His last blessing, his last good wish, his last prayer, was for his faithfnl people. He prayed that the faith might never depart from them. His prayer has been answered. The Irish race have ever remained faithful. Centuries have passed since then. Storms have swept over the land, but the faith planted there by St Patrick still remains. Everything that human ingenuity could devise was done for its destruction, but the faith still lives, and will continue to the end. With a readiness never equalled the whole nation received the faith during the lifetime of their Apostle ; witb a constancy never surpassed they have clung to it. Our poor people, said the right rev preacher, wherever they have gone— east or west— to tbe cities or the back woods, to America, or to this bright Australia, have carried with them the faith and fidelity to tha true traditions of their fathers. The preacher, in conclusion, exhorted the children of St Patrick, as they had received the faith, fo to let its light shine in them, that men, seeing their good works would glorify their Heavenly Father.