17th March. St Patrick, Principal Patron of Ireland
1st Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-9
Jeremiah’s reluctance about his vocation (and Patrick doubting his ability to preach)
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy;’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth.
2nd Reading: Acts 13:46-49
Like Paul and Barnabas, Patrick brought salvation to the ends of the earth
Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region.
Gospel: Mark 16:15-20
Miracles to accompany the early Christian mission, after the Ascension
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
Alternative Readings
1st Reading: Sirach 39:6-10
Flled with the spirit of understanding
If the great Lord is willing, he will be filled with the spirit of understanding; he will pour forth words of wisdom of his own and give thanks to the Lord in prayer. The Lord will direct his counsel and knowledge, as he meditates on his mysteries.
He will show the wisdom of what he has learned, and will glory in the law of the Lord’s covenant. Many will praise his understanding; it will never be blotted out.His memory will not disappear, and his name will live through all generations.
Nations will speak of his wisdom, and the congregation will proclaim his praise.
2nd Reading: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
I have fought the good fight
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-32
Growing together until the harvest
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Patrick sowed the good seed
Think of Saint Patrick out there, a slave boy, looking at nature and having no church, and yet, meeting his God. Maybe it’s the Cliffs of Moher. Maybe it’s the great Dun Angus in the Aran Islands. Maybe it’s the Lakes of Killarney. But whatever it was about the land and scenery of Ireland, it produced a people who were great mystics and realized the number one sacrament of the presence of God was nature. And also, the sacredness of the individual. Maybe it was the barren land, or the awesome beauty, or the famine, or the persecution. But they learned to treasure each and every individual, and realize that, both in solitude, which they treasured, and community, which they built, that God was near.
They celebrated with prayers that we still have today like the Celtic prayer: God to enfold me, God to surround me, God in my speaking, God in my thinking, God in my sleeping, God in my waking, God in my watching, God in my hoping, God in my life, God in my lips, God in my soul, God in my heart, God in my sufficing, God in my slumber, God in my ever-living soul, God in my eternity.
May you recognize in your life the presence, power and light of your soul.
May you realize that you are never alone,
That your soul, in its brightness and belonging,
Connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe.
May you have respect for your own individuality and difference.
May you realize that you have a special destiny here,
that, behind all of the facade of your life,
there is something beautiful, good and eternal happening.
And may the road rise up to meet you.
may the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rain fall soft upon your fields.
And, until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Patrick, Pastoral Theologian
Perhaps we are wrong to take Patrick’s statement about his ignorance at face value. To describe himself as a mere illiterate sinner was just a foil to highlight the glorious workings of God’s grace. His Confessio clearly reveals that Patrick was no ignorant man. He was a skilled writer in the traditions of the Church Fathers and of late Roman literature. Patrick’s work should be read alongside the larger Confession of his near-contemporary, Augustine. Both were pastoral theologians of great insight, deeply aware of the presence of Christ in their lives.
Patrick’s theology grew out of his personal experience of Christ, of his mission to Ireland of the needs of the newly evangelized. Faith is not a knowledge but a life with Christ. Faith is not simply a matter of ‘knowing’ Christ and his teachings; it is a sensing of the presence of Christ and a response to that presence. Patrick grew to realize that the faith is more than statements about God, a belief system of the head but an awareness of the presence of God sharing his life at every moment. Starved of reliance on family and friends, the boy Patrick on Slemish discovered he was not alone. This sensing of the presence and love of God shaped his life and became the foundation of all that he did. Faith is this awareness of the presence of Christ and of his own worth as loved by God which runs through the writings of Patrick.
In Patrick’s writings we meet the Christian vision of human worth. His task of making the Good News known met opposition from those who considered the Irish as barbarian and so not quite human. He opposed such discrimination in the name of the Gospel. His task is still an urgent one. . Even in our liberal society, the excuse of limited resources is used to hide the unequal provision of health care, education and employment. Our society has been coarsened by the frequent murder of ‘our own’ by ‘them.’ It is not yet too late to revive Patrick’s vision of the individual worth of each person, even those who hate and attack us.
Féile Naoimh Pádraig, ár n’Aspail náisiúnta
In áit seanmóir faoi leith a chumadh libh do’n féile ár n’Aspail náisiúnta, Naomh Pádraig, cheap me roinnt smaointe a roinnt libh, díreach ó’na scríbhínn álainn féin, as an bFhaoistin. Ní thabhairfidh mé an téacs go léir, mar tá sé ar fáil go soiléar ar an idirlín, ach seo dhíbh cuid de na haltanna is suntasaí liomsa. Tosnaíonn Pádraig go measartha agus go húmhal, ag léiriú an easpa súáilce abhí ann, mar óganach:
“Mise Pádraig, peacach ró-thuatach, an té is lú de na fíréin go léir agus an té is lú a bhfuil meas ag a lán air.” Is cosuil gur fhás sé suas i dteaghlach Críostaí, ach níor chuir sé mór-chuid suim ar an dteagasg a fuair sé ó’na thuismetheoirí:
“B’é Calpornius, deochan, m’athair. Mac do Photitus, sagart, ab ea é, ó bhaile Bannavem Taburniae (san Bhreatain Beag)… Bhí mé tuairim sé bliana déag d’aois agus níorbh aithnid dom an fíor-Dhia agus tugadh i mbraighdeanas go hÉirinn mé in éineacht leis na mílte daoine eile, rud a bhí tuillte againn de bhrí gur thugamar cúl do Dhia agus nár choinníomar a aitheanta. Agus scaoil an Tiarna anuas orainn cuthach a fheirge agus scaip Sé sinn trína lán ciníocha.”
Ach nuair abhí Padraig ag faire ar na beithigh ar Sliabh Mis na hAontroma, “Mar a bhínn ag aoireacht caorach gach lá, bhí grá agus eagla Dé ag teacht i dtreise chugam i ndiaidh a chéile, agus bhí mo chreideamh ag dul i méid agus bhí m’anam á ghríosadh. Is ansin d’oscail an Tiarna mo intinn ionas go gcuimhnínn, má ba mhall féin, ar mo pheacaí agus go n-iompaínn le lán-chroí chuig mo Thiarna Dia, a rinne trócaire ar m’aineolas, mar a dhéanadh athar dá mhac. Deirinn suas le céad urnaithe sa ló agus an oiread céanna beagnach san oíche, go fiú ins na coillte agus ar an sliabh dom. Dhúisínn chun urnaí roimh sholas in ainneoin sneachta agus seaca agus báistí … agus ní bhíodh leisce ar bith orm : mar is léir dom anois, b’é an Spiorad a bhí ag lasadh ionam an tráth sin… Mar sin ní thig liom bheith im thost i dtaobh an grásta a dheónaigh Dia orm i ndúthaigh mo bhraighdeanais agus is ceart go mórfaimis a éachta os comhair an uile chine dá bhfuil faoin spéir.”
Tar éis blianta mar sclábhaí in Éirinn, bhain Pádraig a shaoirse amach: “Agus i mo chodladh dom chuala mé glór ag rá liom: ‘Féach, tá do long fa réir.’” dFhill sé ar an Breatan Bheag agus ina chiaigh sin d’imigh sé do’n Fhrainc, áit ar chéan sé staidéar chun bheith ina shagart. “Agus ansin chonaic mé i bhfís oíche fear agus é mar bheadh sé ag teacht ó Éirinn, arbh ainm dó Victoricus, agus litreacha gan choimse leis. Agus thug sé ceann acu dom agus léigh mé tosach na litre mar a raibh ‘Glór na nGael,’ agus nuair a bhíos ag léamh b’fhacthas dom gur chuala mé a nglór, mar bheadh d’aon ghuth : ‘Iarraimid ort, a bhuachaill naofa, teacht i leith agus bheith ag siúl athuair inár measc.’ Agus tháinig an-bhriseadh croí orm agus níor fhéadas a thuilleadh a léamh agus ansin dhúisíos.”
“Ní uaim féin a chuaigh mé go hÉirinn ach mar gur cheartaigh an Tiarna mé tríd agus gur chóirigh Sé mé i dtreo go mbéadh bail orm go mbéadh slánú daoine eile mar chúram orm, agus nár smaoinigh mé fiú orm féin an uair sin.”
Tugann sé cúntas ar conas a tháinig an Soiscéal d’ár sinsir ina dhiadh sin: “Cé mar tharla in Éirinn daoine a bhí riamh gan eolas ar Dhia ach iad i gcónaí go dtí seo ag adhradh nithe neamhghlana, cé mar tharla go ndearnadh pobal an Tiarna díobh agus go ngairtear clann Dé díobh, go bhfuil clann mhac na Scot agus clann iníon na ríthe le feiceáil ina manaigh agus ina n-ógha le Críost.”
Tá naomh Pádraig lán sásta leis an méad daoine a bhaistigh sé in Éireann. “Mar sin, tá cuntas simplí tugtha agam dom’ bhráithre agus chomh-oibrithe a chreid ionam mar gheall ar an teagasc a thugas le bhur gcreideamh a neartú agus a dhaingniú. Is é mo ghuí go mbéidh sampla níos fearr á leanúint agaibhse agus obair níos tábhachtaí á déanamh!
Roimh críochniú dó, déannan sé urnaí óna chroí ar son muintir na nGael:
Dá bharr sin nár líge mo Dhia dom go gcaillfinn choíche a phobal a cheannaigh Sé in imchéin an domhain. Guím Dia buanseasmhacht a thabhairt dom agus a dheónadh go mbéidh mé im fhinné dílis dó go fágáil an tsaoil seo dom ar son mo Dhé. Ach is é mo ghuí ar lucht a chreideann i nDia agus ar lucht a eagla, cibé duine a dheónas an scríbhinn seo a chum Pádraig, neamh-oilte is mar tá sé, in Éirinn a ghlacadh … go mba tabhartas Dé é. Agus siúd i mo Fhaoistin roimh bhás dom.
Is mór an t’áthas linn, a cháirde, an tAspal croíúil, cróga sin a cheiliúradh inniú, and déanaimís ár ndícheall a shampla a leanúint agus traidisiún an chreidimh Críostaí a choimead suas lenár linn, anseo in Eirinn.
Traits of our national apostle
The challenge today is to present Patrick as a man for our own times; engaging in a mission and a journey still to be travelled, if the Christian flame is to stay alive, let alone thrive, in today’s Ireland. It is a good idea to weave passages from St. Patrick’s Confession into the homily. See Padraig McCarthy’s lovely translation of the Confession, and a perceptive commentary by Ciaran Needham on what is known about St. Patrick. Among the qualities of our apostle to develope in the homily are these:
Prayerful man of the Spirit: “And again I saw Him praying in me, and I seemed to be within my body, and I heard Him above me, that is, over my inward self, and there He prayed with great emotion. And all the time I was astonished, and wondered, and thought with myself who it could be that prayed in me. But at the end of the prayer He spoke, saying that He was the Spirit; and so I woke up, and remembered the Apostle saying: The Spirit helps the infirmities of our prayer.”
Converted sinner, man of God: “I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many … But the Lord opened my unbelieving heart that I might at last remember my sins and be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my abjection, and mercy on my youth and ignorance, and watched over me before I knew Him… comforted me as would a father his son. So I cannot be silent — nor should I be — about the great benefits and the great grace which the Lord has deigned to bestow upon me in the land of my captivity.” He was deeply grateful for the work of grace within him.
His obvious love of the Bible. He shows great familiarity with the most recently available translation of the Bible (St Jerome’s Vulgate) and often quotes or alludes to the text of Scripture. This reverence for the Bible marked the Irish church in the following centuries, and resulted in important early Irish commentaries, as well as lovely manuscript copies of the Gospel, like the Book of Kells.
Dedicated pastor. “For I am much God’s debtor, who gave me such grace that many people were reborn in God through me and afterwards confirmed, and that clerics were ordained for them everywhere, for a people just coming to the faith, whom the Lord took from the utmost parts of the earth.” His resolve to remain with the Irish, until his death. “Even if I wished to leave them and go to Britain — and how I would have loved to go to my country and my parents, and also to Gaul in order to visit the brethren and to see the face of the saints of my Lord! God knows that I much desired it! But I am bound by the Spirit, who witnesses against me that if I do this, I shall be guilty. And I am afraid of losing the labour which I have begun — no, not I, but Christ the Lord who bade me come here and stay with them for the rest of my life, if the Lord will, and will guard me from every evil way that I may not sin before Him.”
At considerable cost, Patrick left behind the comforts of Roman Britain to fulfil his mission as a wandering preacher in Ireland. He learned the Irish language and the local customs, respected their religious ideals and gave new meaning to their traditional high-places (like Croagh Patrick) and holy wells. In modern mission practice, radical inculturation is seen as essential to gaining a people’s heart for Christ.
Patrick’s distinctive spirituality grew out of his personal experience of Christ, of his mission to Ireland of the needs of the newly evangelized. (One can link his Christ-centred “Loricum” with the spirituality of his great apostolic mentor, St. Paul — as expressed in today’s noble passage from Philippians. Like Paul, Patrick regarded faith as not just knowledge but as a life filled with Christ. Faith is not simply a matter of ‘knowing’ the teachings of Christ and of the Church. It is a ‘sensing of the presence of Christ and a response to that presence. This is an aspect of Patrick which we could do with retrieving in our hectic, electronic-dominated age. Patrick grew to realize that the faith into which he was baptized as a child was more than a belief system which filled the head. It was a relationship with God, an awareness of the presence of the person of Christ sharing his life at every moment.
(We might also link Patrick’s ministry in Ireland to what we hope and pray for in our own leaders today.)