On St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland

Born, most likely, in France, in Little Brittany, on the coast of Leon, about the year 373. He was carried into captivity by certain barbarians, who took him to Ireland. It was there he laid the foundation of a sanctity which made him one of the greatest apostles and patrons of Holy Church. Having received his mission from Pope Celestine, and being consecrated a Bishop, he converted the whole of Ireland, and filled the country with churches and schools of piety and learning. He died and was buried at Down, in Ulster, in the year 464, at the age of ninety-two.



On wings of holy charity
To Erin's coast Saint Patrick came,
To curb the devil's tyranny,
And spread the love of Jesus's name.

Chorus.
The Faith is firm in Erin's land,
And Patrick dear to Irish hearts;
Though heresy has raised her brand,
And struck her sons with Satan's dart.

 		Then by celestial doctrine taught,
To Faith and Hope was Erin turned:
The flame of Love her children caught,
And Peter's Chair their Faith confirmed.

Chorus.
The Faith is firm in Erin's land,
And Patrick dear to Irish hearts;
Though heresy has raised her brand,
And struck her sons with Satan's dart.
Through ages lone of gloomy night
Our Fathers in fell bondage lay,
When Patrick brought the Gospel's light,
To light in truth our heavenward way.

Chorus.
The Faith is firm in Erin's land,
And Patrick dear to Irish hearts;
Though heresy has raised her brand,
And struck her sons with Satan's dart.

 		Still, Patrick, pray that sin may fly
From every Irish heart and home,
And those who love to own thee nigh,
In lawless way may never roam.

Chorus.
The Faith is firm in Erin's land,
And Patrick dear to Irish hearts;
Though heresy has raised her brand,
And struck her sons with Satan's dart.




St. Patrick's Day

All praise to Saint Patrick, who brought to our mountains
The gift of God's faith, the sweet light of His love!
All praise to the shepherd who showed us the fountains
That rise in the heart of the Saviour above!
For hundreds of years, in smiles and in tears,
Our Saint has been with us, our shield and our stay;
All else may have gone, Saint Patrick alone,
He hath been to us light when earth's lights were all set,
For the glories of Faith they can never decay;
And the best of our glories is bright with us yet,
In the faith and the feast of Saint Patrick's Day.


There is not a Saint in the bright courts of heaven
More faithful than he to the land of his choice:
Oh, well may the nation to whom he was given,
In the feast of their sire and apostle rejoice!
In glory above, true to his love,
He keeps the false faith from his children away:
The dark false faith, that is worse than death,
Oh! he drives it far off from the green sunny shore,
Like the reptiles which fled from his curse in dismay;
And Erin, when error's proud triumph is o'er,
Will still be found keeping Saint Patrick's Day.


Then what shall we do for thee, heaven-sent Father?
What shall the proof of our loyalty be?
By all that is dear to our hearts, we would rather
Be martyred, sweet Saint! than bring shame upon thee!
But oh! he will take the promise we make,
So to live that our lives by God's help may display
The light that he bore to Erin's shore:
Yes, Father of Ireland! no child wilt thou own,
Whose life is not lighted by grace on its way;
For they are true Irish, oh yes! they alone,
Whose hearts are all true on Saint Patrick's Day.






Hymn of Supplication to St. Patrick

Saint Patrick, for our country pray,
Our ever-faithful land,
Whose martyred hosts so gloriously
Before God's great throne stand;
Look down upon thy children here,
Look down upon our race,
And bless, dear Saint, this little isle
And each one's native place.

Chorus:
From foes without, from fears within,
From every evil, every sin,
Saint Patrick, set us free.

 		Oh, help our poor in patient love
To bear their suffering life,
To think of that great victory
Which cometh after strife;
Keep from them all revengeful thoughts
Whene'er they suffer wrong--
The meek alone are crowned in heaven,
And heaven will come ere long.

Chorus:
From foes without, from fears within,
From every evil, every sin,
Saint Patrick, set us free.
Oh, hear us, Patrick, while we pray,
Thou art our own dear Saint,
Uphold the weak, protect the young,
Strengthen the souls that faint;
Thou knowest how we are tempted still,
Thou knowest how we are tried,
Thou knoweste that we are faithful too,
Whatever ills betide.

Chorus:
From foes without, from fears within,
From every evil, every sin,
Saint Patrick, set us free.

 		We are thy childen, blessed Saint,
The children of thy love;
We know how mighty is thy prayer,
How it was heard above;
Pray for us now, for priest and nun,
For rich men and for poor,
That to the end, however tried,
Our faith may still endure.

Chorus:
From foes without, from fears within,
From every evil, every sin,
Saint Patrick, set us free.



On St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland
by Richard Challoner, 1807


Consider first, how much we owe to God for having called this nation, by the ministry of St. Patrick, from darkness and the shadow of death that is, from infidelity, idolatry, and vice, into his admirable light; and from being the seat of the reign of Satan, where he for so many ages had exercised his tyranny without control, to become an island of Saints! O! what ought to be then the devotion of this day! how ought we to glorify God for this inestimable benefit of our vocation, and for all those other unspeakable gifts and graces which have been derived from this source! What veneration do we not owe to this our blessed Apostle, whom our Lord has chosen to be his instrument in this great work; who by his labours, by his preaching, and by his prayers, first brought Christ amongst us, and who first opened to us, through Christ, the fountains of mercy, grace, and salvation, which flow to this day! O! let us praise the Lord in his Saints.

Consider 2ndly, in what manner God prepared St. Patrick for this admirable work, and by what steps he brought him on from virtue to virtue, till he was perfectly qualified for the Apostleship. His Providence ordained that in his tender years he should be carried captive into that very land which he was afterwards to deliver from the slavery of Satan. Here he not only became acquainted with the language and manners of the people, but what was of infinitely more advantage to him, learned to spend his whole time, night and day, whilst he tended his master’s cattle, in the exercises of prayer and penance; by which he laid a solid foundation for an apostolic life. After he was released from his slavery, and received amongst the clergy, he employed many years abroad, under the discipline of the most eminent servants of God, in order to dispose and qualify himself to answer that divine call, by which he had been invited to the conversion of the Irish, which he then took in hand, when after this long preparation, he received both his episcopal consecration and mission from the Vicar of Jesus Christ, St. Celestine, Bishop of Rome. Thus the Spirit of God, by a long course of spiritual exercises, fitted our Saint for the great work for which he designed him; thus he gradually took full possession of that soul, by which he was to bring so many thousand souls to be his eternal temples. See, Christians, by what kind of exercises, of retirement, penance, and long-continued prayer, you ought also to be prepared, if you hope the Spirit of God should do great things by you or for you.

Consider 3rdly, the admirable ways and means by which St. Patrick was enabled to bring over a whole nation from their errors and vices to the faith and light of the Gospel, in spite of all the opposition of the world, the flesh, and the devil. These were, principally, his ardent zeal for the glory of God, and the salvation of souls; his profound humility; his prayer which was most fervent and continual; and the Spirit with which he delivered the word of God. This word of God in his mouth was like a fire, which breaking forth from the great furnace of divine love which possessed his own breast, communicated its bright flames to the hearts of all that heard him, and won them over to Christ; his word was mighty to break in pieces even the hardest rocks, and to bring into captivity every understanding, and every will, to the obedience of Christ. See, ye ministers of God, by this example, by what kind of arms you are to bring souls to God; see by what kind of arms you are to overcome all opposition of the enemy, and effectually to establish the reign of Christ in those souls he has committed to our charge. True zeal, profound humility, a spirit of prayer, and a heart burning with ardent charity, will more effectually enable you to convert sinners, than if you were even to raise the dead to life. See, all ye Christians in general, in this great example of our Saint, what are the principal ingredients of true sanctity, and what are the virtues and exercises that will bring you also to be Saints. The zeal, or desire of pleasing God in all things, a sincere humility, fervent prayer, and true charity in both its branches, are necessary for all: these will surely make us Saints, and nothing less than these can secure the salvation of any one.

Conclude to offer up to God, on this day, a heart full of love and gratitude for the innumerable graces and blessings bestowed upon this island through the ministry of St. Patrick, and of that long train of Saints who have descended from him. Let us never degenerate from these our parents in Christ, or forget the glorious examples of their heroic virtues. O! who shall give us to see Ireland once more an island of Saints!






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