The Story of st. Patrick

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 9, 11 March 1925, Page 17

The Story of st. Patrick

“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and have appointed you, that you should go and should bring forth fruit and your fruit should remain.” —St. John xv. 16. These words from St. John’s Gospel were addressed by Our Lord to His Apostles who ' - were to go forth and announce to the world the glad tidings of salvation. They may be : regarded a® spoken, also, to those great missionary saints who were sent by God to convert pagan nations, and, in particular, they may be applied to St. Patrick, who was chosen to preach the Gospel in Ireland, and who brought forth abundant fruit by making the inhabitants of that land followers of Christ: that fruit has, in a wonderful way, remained and increased till the present day, and will, with the Divine blessing, remain till the end of the world. » * « Patrick when a boy was taken prisoner in war, and was sold as a slave in the north of Ireland. The task given him was to keep sheep or swine in a mountainous region. He knew and loved God, and during the years of his captivity he did not murmur against his hard lot, but sought day by day to please his Creator more and more. Being much alone, he learned to walk in God’s presence and to pray to Him continually in the solitude of his heart; and by means of that sweet communion with the Lord Whom he loved, he conquered temptations to impatience and discouragement, shunned sin, and advanced rapidly in virtue and sanctify. At last he escaped from Ireland and landed in France, where, as he wished to become a priest, Divine Providence enabled him to pursue his studies and obtain ordination. One day— tells us the fact in his .“Confession”—he had a vision in which an angel appeared and handed him V a letter in which he saw the words, “The Voice of the Irish,” and while he was reading it, he thought he heard the voice of people living near the western sea calling to him and saying: “Holy youth, come and walk again amongst us.” And he adds, “The Lord many years after granted unto them according to their desire.” For in that very region—the wood of Foclut in the west—he converted many to the faith of Christ. He felt that God wished him to preach the Gospel in the land where he had been a captive and had learned to speak j. the Celtic tongue. Accordingly, after long f years of preparation for that dangerous and *. difficult work, he was consecrated bishop, t and the holy Pope Celestine commissioned him to carry the tidings of Redemption to that beautiful western island. * ♦ * ...,, Accompanied by some priests, he landed in the north-east of Ireland, and made there v several converts; but he knew it would be

best to get the King’s approval of his mission, and for that purpose, he went to Tara, where a great assembly was just then being held by the monarch. It was a national custom that no fire was allowed in the province during this assembly until the King’s bonfire was lighted. During Holy Week Patrick arrived within sight of Tara, and he kindled the fire which is required during the ceremonies of that sacred time, the last days of Lent. King Laghaire was very angry, and determined to put Patrick to death. The pagan priests, called Druids, exhorted him to destroy the new religion; otherwise it would spread through the whole island. Yet when, by the king’s command, Patrick was brought before him, he was so impressed by the bearing and preaching of the saint, tl;at he not only forgave him, but, in addition, he allowed him to make converts o.f all who wished to accept the Christian faith. Though he was not himself converted, his queen and many nobles of his court became fervent Christians. •. • • The Saint travelled everywhere throughout the island, and the land, which he found given up to the errors of paganism, he beheld before his death converted to Christ. Towards the close of his life he fasted and prayed during Lent on Mount Cruachan, which looks on the western sea. There he prayed that the Irish should never lose the faith. He was attacked by demons, but he put them to flight, and Victor, the angel that guarded him, brought him the message that Ireland should be faithful to Christ even till the Day of Judgment. He said: “Thy nation shall not walk Accordant with the Gentiles of this world, But as a race elect sustain the Crown, Or bear the Cross ... until the Day of Doom.” » ♦ » And soon afterwhen St. Patrick was dead —the Catholic faith grew like a mighty tree that with its protecting branches overshadowed the whole land; and everywhere throughout the island there arose churches and monasteries and convents and schools until Ireland became known among the peoples that filled the earth as the “Island of Saints and Scholars,” When that golden age passed away, dark and evil days came, and the children of St. Patrick were asked by wicked men to deny and renounce the Catholic religion. But in spite of keenest' suffering, “in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword,” they clung to the faith and were faithful to it even unto death. And so we, too, my dearest,- must bo resolved to-be ever true Catholics, and to -honor our religion by leading virtuous lives in obedience to God’s Commandments and the precepts of the Church. All’this we are bound to do, because the blood of saints and martyrs flows

in our veins, ami we must by a blameless life do honor to that glorious blood. —M. J. Watson, S.J., in Pearls From Holy Scrip-

ture for Little Ones.