The True Story.
Patrick landed at the mouth of the Slaney River. When Patrick set foot on this shore, a new era dawned on this island.
“The Ireland of his day really wasn’t much different from the Ireland of a few years ago here where we are sitting here at this moment,” notes Most Reverend Dr. Robert Eames, Church of England Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland. “It was an Ireland of tribalism, an Ireland of war, an Ireland of suspicion, an Ireland of violence and death. Here he came as a virtual stranger to this country of warring factions.”
“They worshipped multiple gods of the sky and the earth and the water,” says Freeman. “And so that was his first challenge: to convince the Irish that there was only one God and that his God really did love them.”
Patrick came face to face with the chieftains and their druid priests. The showdown came on the morning of his first Easter in Ireland.
Monsignor Raymond Murray, parish priest of Cookstown in Northern Ireland explains further: “Part of the pagan worship of fall to spring, from the beginning of the summer, was that a fire was lit, and first of all, the fire on the hill of Tara and no other lights at all in Ireland.”
This monastery on the hill of Slane is where Patrick — in direct defiance of the high king of Tara — lit a forbidden fire.
Notes Rev. Brady, “He was summoned before the king, and he explained that he wasn’t a threat, because he was bringing the new light, the light of Christ, the Savior of the world, the Light of the world.”
“The first light of Easter day was dawning. Patrick brought the hope of Easter day to Ireland,” says Rev. Eames.
The weather can be absolutely brutal here in Ireland. But just imagine how it must’ve been for Patrick in the 5th century as he trekked across the countryside bringing the Gospel to the pagan Celts.
“People sometimes made fun of him because he said that God often gave him a message there was danger ahead,” says Freeman. “But, he said, ‘Laugh at me if you will. This is something that has protected me in Ireland.’”
Listen to Patrick’s poem of faith and trust in God, “The Breastplate”:
“Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”
Myths and legends have grown up around this hero of Ireland.
As Monsignor Murray explains, it is sometimes difficult to describe the triune aspect of God. So, according to the story, to better illustrate the central teaching of the trinity, Patrick took a shamrock and pointed out the three leaves on it. Interestingly, it is only in Ireland that you find this shamrock. Therefore, the people believed.
“One of the famous legends, of course, is that Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland,” says Irish historian Harold Calvert.
In fact, any snakes in Ireland had disappeared during the Ice Age.
“The legend about the driving of the snakes may, in fact, really symbolize the driving out of evil,” says Calvert.
In 432 A.D., Patrick built a church on the site of the present day St. Patrick’s Memorial Church in Saul — the first ever Christian church in all of Ireland. It’s considered the cradle of Irish Christianity.
“Preaching the Gospel, of course, baptizing converts, confirming them, appointing clergy,” continues Calvert.
Patrick’s ministry lasted 29 years. He baptized over 120,000 Irishmen and planted 300 churches.
“What Patrick did was really lay the groundwork for Christianity,” says Freeman.
Prehaps a better way to celebrate St Patrics day would be in pray and fasting, rather than in drinking yourself silly?
It would certainly be more in keeping with the character of the man but I guess it wouldn’t be quite as popular if that were the case!
Written by scrubone
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