Irish History
And
The Fighting Irish
And
The Fighting Irish
( The Arrival of St. Patrick )
* Many souls would be free from the pains of purgatory through his intercessions;
* Whoever in the spirit of penance would recite his hymm before death would attain the heavenly reward;
* Barbarian hordes would never obtain sway in his Church;
* Seven years before the Judgement Day, the sea would spread over Ireland to save its people from the temptations and terrors of the Antichrist; and
* Greatest blessing of all, Patrick himself should be deputed to judge the whole Irish race on the last day.
* Whoever in the spirit of penance would recite his hymm before death would attain the heavenly reward;
* Barbarian hordes would never obtain sway in his Church;
* Seven years before the Judgement Day, the sea would spread over Ireland to save its people from the temptations and terrors of the Antichrist; and
* Greatest blessing of all, Patrick himself should be deputed to judge the whole Irish race on the last day.
Such were the extraordinary favours which St. Patrick with his wrestling with the Most High, his unceasing prayers, his unconquerable love of heavenly things, and his unremitting penitential deeds, obtained for the people whom he evangelized.
It is sometimes supposed that St. Patrick's apostolate in Ireland was an unbroken series of peaceful triumphs, and yet it was quite the reverse. No storm of persecution was, indeed stirred up to assail the infant Church, but the sain himself was subjected to frequent trials at the hands of the druids and of other enemies of the Faith. He tells us in his " Confessio " that no fewer than 12 times he and his companions were seized and carried off as captives, and on one occasion in particular he was loaded with chains, and his death was decreed. But from all these trials and sufferings he was liberated by a benign Providence. It is on account of the many hardships which he endured for the Faith that, in some of the ancient Martyrologies, he is honoured as a martyr.
St Patrick, having now completed his triumph over Paganism, and gathered Ireland into the fold of Christ, prepared for the summons to his reward. St. Brigid came to him with her chosen virgins, bringing the shroud in which he would be enshrined. It is recorded that when St. Patrick and St. Brigid were united in their last prayer, a special vision was shown to him. He saw the whole of Ireland lit up with the brightest rays of Divine Faith. This continued for centuries, and then clouds gathered around the devoted island, and little by little, the religious glory faded away, until in the course of the centuries, it was only in the remotest valleys that some glimmer of its light reamined. St. Patrick prayed that the light would never be extinguished and as he prayed, the angel came to him and said " Fear not: your apostolate shall never cease. " As he thus prayed, the glimmering light grew in brightness, and ceased not until once more all the hills and valleys of Ireland were lit up in their prestine splendour, and then the angel announced to St. Patrick: " Such shall be the abiding splendour of Divine truth in Ireland. "
At Saul ( Sabhall ) St. Patrick received the summons to his reward on the 17th March 493. St Tassach administered the last sacraments to him. His remains were wrapped in the shroud woven by St. Brigid's own hands. The bishops and clergy and faithful people from all parts crowded around his remains to pay due honour to the Father of the Faith. Some of the ancient Lives record that for several days the light of heaven shone around his bier. His remains were interred at the Chieftain's Dun or Fort two miles from Saul, where in after times arose the cathedral of Down. Never has a saint been so devoted to the people of one island as that of St. Patrick.
It is sometimes supposed that St. Patrick's apostolate in Ireland was an unbroken series of peaceful triumphs, and yet it was quite the reverse. No storm of persecution was, indeed stirred up to assail the infant Church, but the sain himself was subjected to frequent trials at the hands of the druids and of other enemies of the Faith. He tells us in his " Confessio " that no fewer than 12 times he and his companions were seized and carried off as captives, and on one occasion in particular he was loaded with chains, and his death was decreed. But from all these trials and sufferings he was liberated by a benign Providence. It is on account of the many hardships which he endured for the Faith that, in some of the ancient Martyrologies, he is honoured as a martyr.
St Patrick, having now completed his triumph over Paganism, and gathered Ireland into the fold of Christ, prepared for the summons to his reward. St. Brigid came to him with her chosen virgins, bringing the shroud in which he would be enshrined. It is recorded that when St. Patrick and St. Brigid were united in their last prayer, a special vision was shown to him. He saw the whole of Ireland lit up with the brightest rays of Divine Faith. This continued for centuries, and then clouds gathered around the devoted island, and little by little, the religious glory faded away, until in the course of the centuries, it was only in the remotest valleys that some glimmer of its light reamined. St. Patrick prayed that the light would never be extinguished and as he prayed, the angel came to him and said " Fear not: your apostolate shall never cease. " As he thus prayed, the glimmering light grew in brightness, and ceased not until once more all the hills and valleys of Ireland were lit up in their prestine splendour, and then the angel announced to St. Patrick: " Such shall be the abiding splendour of Divine truth in Ireland. "
At Saul ( Sabhall ) St. Patrick received the summons to his reward on the 17th March 493. St Tassach administered the last sacraments to him. His remains were wrapped in the shroud woven by St. Brigid's own hands. The bishops and clergy and faithful people from all parts crowded around his remains to pay due honour to the Father of the Faith. Some of the ancient Lives record that for several days the light of heaven shone around his bier. His remains were interred at the Chieftain's Dun or Fort two miles from Saul, where in after times arose the cathedral of Down. Never has a saint been so devoted to the people of one island as that of St. Patrick.
St Patrick looks across the land from the Hill of Tara
