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| 22/12/24 12:24pm | [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3 ] |
| Subject: Island of Saints and Scholars | |
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Author: Sean |
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Date Posted: 13:22:07 12/30/02 Mon A chairde, The greatest event in the evangelisation of the world is the mission of Saint Patrick to Ireland. Patrick was not the first Christian missionary to come to Ireland. There are traditions of several apostolic men who preached in Ireland before Patrick came with the Christian message; such as St Ailbe at Emly, St Declan at Ardmore, and St Kieran in Ossory. Even St. Celestine is said to haver sent on Palladius earlier in his reign. Whatever may have been the success of these earlier preachers, that of Palladius is said not to have been great; it was the almost matchless achievement of Saint Patrick in the space of one lifetime to have made a whole pagan land Christian.The work he did organising the Irish Church he had founded, and to have done his work so throughly that it has never been undone, despite centuries of persecution, even until the present day. The title of Apostle of Ireland is his and his alone in the fullest and noblest sense. From the time Patrick landed in Wicklow, having been consecrated Bishop by Saint Maximus of Turin, and sent by Pope St Celestine on his Apostolic mission, till his death circa 492, he travelled over almost every part of Ireland, preaching baptising, instructing and organising with ceaseless zeal and activity. He carried all this work side by side with a life of almost superhuman austerity and union with God in prayer. He went from Wicklow to Antrim, then to Downpatrick, onto Royal Tara in Meath, where he lit the paschal fire. By his fervent preaching, he converted the Ard Ri (High King), as well as the leader of the bards. Although Ireland had been pagan, it had a well organised social structure and legal system - the Breton Laws. Patrick went to Connaught, centuries later associated with the saying, "To hell or Connaught." He remained there preaching , and winning numerous converts, for seven years. Then back through Ulster, establishing St. Macartan as Bishop of Monaghan, and St Fiacre, as Bishop of Sletty. No need to mention here that there was no such thing as aircraft, motor cars, television, telephone or the Internet in those far off days! Eventually, he died at Saul, in Co. Down, not far from Downpatrick. Ardmacha (Armagh), where he fixed his own see, has ever since been considered the primatial see of the Irish Church. He was succeeded by St Benignus, who had been Patrick's contant conpanion since he was a youth. The great Ard Ri Brian Boru, who defeated the Danes, is buried in Ardmacha. His grave is marked and the writer, after attending the funeral of an old comrade there, said a decade of the Rosary at Brian's grave for the happy repose of his noble, brave soul. Although advanced in years, he could not be kept away from the Battle of Clontarf, where he knelt in prayer for the success of his Royal Army against the foreign invaders. Although the writer will be dead when it happens, he prays for the day when the newly annointed Ard Ri is installed in the Catholic Cathedral of Ardmacha. Perhaps the writer's grandchildren or great grandchildren will witness the glorious event when the Royal Irish Nation takes her place once more as the Island of Saints and Scholars in a sad, troubled world. I pray that this will come to pass before the Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| Subject | Author | Date |
| Re: Royal Irish Nation | Georgiana Warwick | 07:02:34 04/04/03 Fri |
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