St. Patrick

[Sam]

Tuesday March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. It is usually observed by wearing green, drinking green beer, and eating corned beef and cabbage. Here in good old German Catholic Cincinnati we have a parade the weekend before St. Patrick's day but I've never gone down town to see it. We even have a Church in Cincinnati named after St. Patrick. It's just a few blocks from a German Church named after St. Boniface. I came across a biography of St. Patrick a few years ago and thought I would pass it on again this year. There are a lot of stories about the person we call St. Patrick and they happened so long ago it is hard to separate truth from legend. So I don't know how accurate this account is but it sounds like St. Paddy was quite a guy.
-----------------------

PATRICK'S CHILDHOOD

Patrick was born of Christian parents toward the close of the fourth century. His father, Calpurnius, though of British race was by birth a Roman citizen, and held the rank, Decurion. The father and grandfather of Calpurnias, Potitus and Odissus, had both been Christians; so the family had kept the faith for at least several generations.

Conchessa, Patrick's mother, was a near relative of the great St. Martin of Tours. She was a wise and good woman, and sought to bring up their children in the fear and love of God.

As the son of a Roman Citizen, and a British noble, Patrick was bound to have had some education. According to the custom of British citizens of the Roman Empire, Patrick was given three names, rendered in Latin as Patricius, Magonus, Sacatus. Patricius meaning, 'Noble', and Sacatus, a Celtic word meaning, 'Valiant in war'.

The fact that St. Patrick worked great and wonderful miracles is beyond question, and those miracles won him enthusiastic admiration and enduring love of the people.

Miracles happened even over the birth of St. Patrick. As no priest was to be found, the infant was taken to the blind hermit, Gornias, to be baptized. A difficulty arose because there was no water to perform the ceremony. Gornias, however by faith, took the baby's hand and with it traced the sign of the cross upon the earth, and as a result, water gushed forth. Bathing his own eyes the hermit saw, and he then baptized Patrick.

From his childhood he had been able to understand the things of God. Patrick, in the Book of Epistles, said, "And God had pity on my youth and ignorance, and He took care of me before I knew Him, and before I could distinguish between good and evil. And He strengthened me and comforted me as a father does his son. "

MIRACLES

Once when Patrick was minding sheep with his little sister, Lupita, she tripped and fell, striking her head against a stone. Her brother was some distance away, but when he returned and found her lying unconscious, he prayed over her and raised her up. The wound was instantly healed, and the girl recovered. The scar remained visible, as a proof of the miracle. The children returned home together as if nothing had happened.

On one occasion when the Britons had a meeting, his foster-parents took him along with them. While they were there his foster-father suddenly collapsed and died. At first, a great hush fell upon the assembly, and then the man's relatives began to weep, and his wife cried, and calling to Patrick, she said, "My boy, why have you allowed the man who has been so kind to you to die?"

Patrick had been playing with the other children, and had not noticed at first the distress of the people. But seeing what had happened, he ran to his foster-father, and putting his arm round the dead man's neck, he said affectionately; "Get up and let us go home."

The man arose at once, and full of life, he returned home with his wife and boys.

SOLD AS A SLAVE

When Patrick was sixteen years old the Picts and Scots began to raid the coast, plunder and take hostages. One of the most victorious of these 'sea kings' was Niall, surnamed, "Of the Nine Hostages" (because he took hostages from nine places). It was during one of Niall's raids that Patrick was taken hostage one day, along with a maidservant, his sister, Lupita, and some other companions.

He was taken by ship to Ireland, somewhere along the coast of Antrim and sold as a slave to a petty king, Milcho. He was put in charge of a herd of swine and so spent most time out in the fields. But it was there that God was made real to him, and as he said later, his eyes were opened to see his unbelief, and he was truly converted. All the scripture which he learned as a child flooded his mind and heart and he decided then that somehow he would become a servant of God.

Milcho was so impressed with Patrick that he asked him to teach his children to read, but Milcho was a druid and opposed to Christianity, which was spreading across Ireland.

VICTOR, THE ANGEL SPEAKS TO PATRICK

Patrick had many conversations with the angel of Ireland, named Victor.

One night after six years, he heard a voice, the angel, Victor, who said, "Soon you will return to your country." A while later the same voice spoke to him again; "Your ship is ready." He managed to escape, trusting God and made his way to the coast. After a few days he found a ship ready to sail, and after some hassles he was taken on board.

Eventually Patrick after months of journeying, arrived home. His parents had died but his relatives welcomed him.

One night he was awakened by the same angel, Victor whom he had known in Ireland. He was standing beside Patrick's bed holding many letters in his hand, He selected one and handed it to Patrick. It read, "The Voice of the Irish." Then he heard many voices calling to him to come back to Ireland and bring the message of the Gospel.

PATRICK RETURNS TO IRELAND FOR GOD.

Finally God provided a way for Patrick to return to Ireland in 432 A.D.

So the ministry to the Irish began, not without opposition from the druids and wizards who tried desperately to keep Patrick away from the kings, for they had prophesied of his coming. Patrick believed that if the kings could be won for God, then the people would follow.

THE OPPOSITION OF THE DRUIDS AND THE KING OF TARA

One of the first spiritual battles between Patrick and the Druids was fought at the Hill of Tara, in 433 A.D.

The High King, Laeghaire (Leary), son of the renowned Niall of the Nine Hostages, had invited the sub-kings and nobles and bards to a lavish festival. It was to start with great bonfires, but until those fires were lit by the druids, it was forbidden for other fires to be seen.

King Laeghaire, in his efforts to hold his power over the lower kings had given himself to the power of the wizards, and skillful magicians and Druidic priests along with their idols.

Lochru and Lucat-Mael were his chief wizards, and being false prophet s they had foretold that "An evil teacher would come from over the sea to their land: That a multitude would receive him, and that he would find love and reverence from the men of Ireland, He would cast out from their realms the evil kings and lords, and would destroy all the idols. The worship established by him, would abide in the land forever."

No doubt the druids knew of the progress of Christianity in Britain and Europe. Their brethren abroad had been discredited and they were afraid of the same fate. They were very much afraid of losing their influence and authority.

Patrick leaving the friendly hospitality of Dichu, sailed southward and arrived at Inver Colptha, the mouth of the river Boyne. They followed the course of the stream, for about 12 miles until they came to the hill of Slane, where Patrick proposed to celebrate Easter.

While they rested there on the hill, they saw the magnificent view beneath of the river Boyne; to the north, far away were the purple mountains of Mourne, and to the south lay the beautiful hills of Wicklow. Against this background, about 10 miles away, stood the royal hill of Tara. The roofs of the palaces were shining in the setting sun.

When the sun had set, Patrick prepared to begin the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. It was the first time the paschal fire was lit, never to be extinguished in the land.

Hardly were the Christian torches seen to blaze, when the attention of the High King was drawn to the scene. The whole of Mag Breg, (the Beautiful Plain), was illuminated by the fires, while Tara was still in darkness.

Angrily the King called his attendants and told them to find out who had dared to light the fires, and break the law he had made for the occasion of the festivals of Beltane and Samhain.

The wizards told King Laeghaire that there was no need to send messengers to Slane for they knew what the fires were. "We see the fire," they said, "And we know that unless it is quenched on the night in which it is made, it will not be quenched for ever. The man who kindled it, will vanquish the kings and lords of Ireland, unless he is forbidden."

"This shall not be!" cried the king, "but we will go down and kill this man who made the fires."

to be continued in part 2