St. Patrick the Enlightener

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

The interesting thing about St. Patrick at this stage in our course is that the material and traditions about him come from three distinct layers.

There's the banishing of snakes and the shamrock teaching, first appearing in the 18th and 13th centuries respectively.

Before that there were hagiographic works such as St. MacEvin's Tripartite Life from the 9th century.

And earliest, Patrick's Confessions, words he purportedly wrote in his later years, possibly to defend himself and his ministry.

As can be seen from the opening sections copied below, Patrick's Confessions project a sense of humility and an earnest orthodox faith.

1

My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many. My father was Calpornius. He was a deacon; his father was Potitus, a priest, who lived at Bannavem Taburniae[Nota]. His home was near there, and that is where I was taken prisoner. I was about sixteen at the time. At that time, I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity in Ireland, along with thousands of others. We deserved this, because we had gone away from God, and did not keep his commandments. We would not listen to our priests, who advised us about how we could be saved[Nota]. The Lord brought his strong anger upon us, and scattered us among many nations even to the ends of the earth. It was among foreigners that it was seen how little I was.

2

It was there that the Lord opened up my awareness of my lack of faith. Even though it came about late, I recognised my failings. So I turned with all my heart to the Lord my God[Nota], and he looked down on my lowliness[Nota] and had mercy on my youthful ignorance. He guarded me before I knew him, and before I came to wisdom and could distinguish between good and evil. He protected me and consoled me as a father does for his son.

3

That is why I cannot be silent – nor would it be good to do so – about such great blessings and such a gift that the Lord so kindly bestowed in the land of my captivity. This is how we can repay such blessings, when our lives change and we come to know God, to praise and bear witness to his great wonders before every nation under heaven.

4

This is because there is no other God, nor will there ever be, nor was there ever, except God the Father. He is the one who was not begotten, the one without a beginning, the one from whom all beginnings come, the one who holds all things in being – this is our teaching. And his son, Jesus Christ, whom we testify has always been, since before the beginning of this age, with the father in a spiritual way. He was begotten in an indescribable way before every beginning. Everything we can see, and everything beyond our sight, was made through him. He became a human being; and, having overcome death, was welcomed to the heavens to the Father. The Father gave him all power over every being, both heavenly and earthly and beneath the earth. Let every tongue confess that Jesus Christ, in whom we believe and whom we await to come back to us in the near future, is Lord and God[Nota]. He is judge of the living and of the dead[Nota]; he rewards every person according to their deeds[Nota]. He has generously poured on us the Holy Spirit[Nota], the gift and promise of immortality, who makes believers and those who listen to be children of God and co-heirs with Christ[Nota]. This is the one we acknowledge and adore – one God in a trinity of the sacred name.

The hagographic material adds episodes such as Patrick's great Lenten vigil, on what's now known Croagh Patrick, during which he proved the virtue of his stubbornness. That account begins at the bottom of page 66 in The Tripartite Life.

 

The writer of The Tripartite Life leaves nothing to chance in drawing our attention to the parallels between Patrick's stature as apostle to Ireland and the lives of key biblical figures. In one place he writes:

A man of truth, indeed, was this man, with purity of mind like the Patriarchs; a true pilgrim like Abraham; gentle and forgiving of heart like Moses; a praise-singing psalmist like David; a shrine of wisdom like Solomon; a chosen vessel for proclaiming truth like Paul the Apostle; a man full of grace and knowledge of the Holy Ghost like John . . .

We concluded our time together by praying the famous Lorica of St. Patrick.