Luminous
A Catholic Woman and Her Thoughts on Life, the Universe, and Everything
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saint Patrick Wasn't Irish
 
 
Did you know that Saint Patrick, the revered patron saint of Ireland wasn't really Irish? His name wasn't even Patrick, it was Maewyn Succat. He was born in Britain, around 309 AD. Some sources say he was from Scotland. His family was Roman, and they were Christian, his father was a deacon, and his grandfather was a priest. Biographers say that as a boy, Maewyn wasn't even very religious. At age 16 he was kidnapped by Irish pirates, taken to Ireland and made a slave. He was set to work herding sheep. It was during this time alone in the mountains that Maewyn had a deep religious conversion. Then, after 7 years, Maewyn started having dreams. An angel appeared to him in his dream, telling him how he could escape. He walked across Ireland, over 200 miles, to the coast, where he found a ship, just as foretold in his dream, to take him back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family.
 
Maewyn realized that with his knowledge of the Celtic language, he would make an excellent missionary to the Irish, many of whom were still pagan, worshipping many gods. He longed to return to Ireland, to teach the people about Christ.
 
Maewyn wasn't the first Christian missionary to go to Ireland. Saint Palladius, was sent from Rome to Britain in 429 AD, where as a deacon he fought the Pelagian heresy. He was then consecrated as a bishop in 431, and sent to Ireland.
 
Maewyn studied for the priesthood in Gaul, and Patricius was his baptismal name, given by Pope Celestine prior to his mission to Ireland. Patrick was eventually ordained a bishop. In the early 430s, Pope Celestine sent Patrick back to Ireland,. Patrick arrived in the winter of 433 and made his base at Armagh. Local chieftain Dichu, his first converted patron, gifted a large barn to use for a church sanctuary.
 
Over the next 30 years Patrick and his followers traveled throughout Ireland, preaching, converting, baptizing, and building churches and monasteries all over the island. He converted nearly the entire population to Christianity.
 
Patrick did not condemn the Celtic beliefs of the Irish but he assimilated their practices into a totally Christian spirituality - their sacred wells became Holy Wells dedicated to the saints, their druidic oak groves became Christian chapels for the Eucharist, etc. Patrick was also very successful in winning the local chieftains to the Faith which, in turn, made it easier for their subjects to embrace Christianity.
 
Patrick died on March 17, 461, after almost 30 years of intense evangelization in Ireland, where he consecrated some 350 Irish Bishops. It is believed that he was buried at Saul, where he had built his first church. Some of the ancient sources record that for several days the light of heaven shone around his bier.
 
There are many legends and stories of Saint Patrick, the most famous of which is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. It is very likely that the story was meant to be symbolic, since for geographic and climatic reasons Ireland never actually had snakes.
 
In the Celtic tradition serpents were associated with fertility and wells, while in Christianity the serpent was Satan, the devil. Therefore, it is believed that the snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Pagan priests, the Druids, and to Saint Patrick converting the heathen and eliminating pagan beliefs.
 
The popular green shamrock -the internationally known symbol of Ireland- and Saint Patrick are closely associated.
 
According to legend, Saint Patrick traditionally used the three leaves of the shamrock to teach the Irish about the concept of the Holy Trinity and to explain the Christian dogma of "unity in diversity". There's no evidence that Patrick ever actually used a shamrock in this way - but it's a nice story.
 
We do have handed down to us several of Saint Patrick's writings. His "Confessio" and his "Epistola ad Coroticum" are recognized universally as genuine writings by the saint.
 
 Other Irish writings dating from a similar time period are less clear; a series of 31 ecclesiastical canons entitled "Synodus secunda Patritii", though unquestionably of Irish origin and dating before the close of the seventh century, is generally considered to be of a later date than St. Patrick, but are interesting as sources of early Christian spirituality in the region.
 
The famous prayer, "Faeth Fiada", or "The Lorica of Saint Patrick" is known to be genuine, as are the book of his sayings, preserved in the "Book of Armagh", and the text of the "Rule of Patrick".
 
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Lorica of Saint Patrick
 
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
 
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
 
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
 
I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.
 
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
 
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Written at 7:40 PM by Luminaria2112.
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