The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-06-23

Of ti~ss III cSss tSs lana Ssoasne land, not
only OF 4hrsstaaus. bat Of saints. Wise and
holy kipp rnled aed governed her. Wise aud
perfectly snS 20 ss.s the
of our national annals It u told that under the
geldan reign of tho great King Brian young
end Of tho lsnd "a, tho stber laden with gold
and treasure, and NO man would insult her |
virtue, bring blush to her virgin cheek, nor
atte%pt e rob her o. the rich and T TslnaS a
Irish heart, enlarged and expanded by tho new !
element of Christian charity which was in I
fused into it with this religion. and the Iri.h
ture, now enlightened with the higher ana
more glorious rays of faith, looked out with |
pity upon the nations that were around, sit |
ting IA DARK ness In barba ism and in the shade |
of DEATH From the-1rish ,nanasterias in tia
sixth aud seventh centuries began the first |
great exodus or exile from Ireland. call it !
Che exodus, orthe. going forth Of faith. Rsxei |
joyfug the blessings Of peace, the light Of liz
vine truth .snd the warmth. of holy charity,
and endowed with learning, she became ths
great school house and university Of tho world.
All the nations around her sent their youth to
Ireland to he instructed, and then these Irish
sanity masters of all human and divine
by these youthful scholars, that there was
neither religion nor faith nor learning in the
countries GROUND. England, yet In possession
Of the was ss LIN IN ga Mn.h
had their Christianity, but they kept it to
themselves, and in their hatred of their Saxon
invaders, these British bishops, priests aud
/ that ever nation exercised against nation.
They actually refused to preach the Gospel to
| the saxons for" fear they might be saved and
evangelical, enlightened and warmed with tho
rays Of divine charity, cast plying look upon
the neighboring country, and in the sixth and
seventh centuries numbers of Irish monks
xpor fz forf nj
through the land of England, and every where
preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Spread
ing from the north Of England and from the
every land of Europe. We find, for instance,
! the valleys of Switzerland evangelical by an
Irih saiat-St. Gall-whose name still marks
| know The land of his birth. We find another
Irish saint of that tims-Fridoline, or .Erido-
!inuswwho2 vent through the Aspgth and
known of all men for the greasuess of bis
learning, for the power Of his preaching, for
1.-THE wonderful sanctity of his life, and he was
called "Fridoline, the Traveller. for he went
about from nation to nation. evan gelizing the
people in the name of Jeaus Christ. We find
st. COLUMBIA going forth in the seventh CEN
fury, penetrating into tho heart of France,
preaching the Gospel and converting the peo-
pie of Burgundy; then, passing across the
Alps, he descended in the plains Of Lombardy,
and in the very land where Sc. Ambrose and so
other great t Of TIE
| pearei as q new vision Of sanctity and of holt
ness before the ancient italian people, who
were converted by the sound of his voice. AT
many and evangelical Frapconia: But the
greatest of all these saints, the Irish exiles OF
that seventh century, was the man whose name
familiar to You ALL whose name Is eS Ghnrchs
calendar, aud whose history has furnished q
theme to Count Montalembert, the greatest
writer Of our age, who foun d IN the name ,S o.
theme for the very highest and grandest piece
. of history that cur age has produced.
The history of this saint, striking for its ex
forciJiy the strength as well as the v eikness
of the Irish character. st. Columbkille was q
descendant of the great Mall OF the Nine hos
tages, who founded in Ulster the royal house
of O'Neil. He was o near relative of the King
of Ulster, aud he consecrated himself to GOO
, in his youth and became monk. Speedily ne
! rose in the fame of his learning aud bis saneti
ty He studied in armagh; lie s, unnr ,h h,
. Shannon. From there he went to an island
/ outside of Galway Bay, and there, as be MN
self tells MS, he spent the happiest days OF nj
0 life, engaged in prayer and lin stady. Wei,
8 You are aware. at this early period there wer
no books, because there was no art OF printing
. Every book had to he written OF patiently IL
t q copy of the Scriptures would purchase an es
r tate.and q large estate. At this time cefe
: brated Irish saint, named st. Finnian, had
d rare and precious copy of the Psalms write
y | out IN goadly characters upon leaves Of parch
q ment. st. Columbia wanted copy OF thi
i work for himself. Hewent to st: Finnian An
. asked 10. He was refused. The book was to
r precious to be copied. He asked, a. least, t
r Be allowed to read it, and he came into th
r Echurch, where the book was deposited, AN
q then he spent night after night, writing ont
r clean copy of the book. By the time that s.
COLUMBIA had finished his copy somebody, VIII
had watched him at his work, went and toll
, St. Finniau that the young man bad made
], COW of his Psalter. The moment St. Finuia
a heard it he laid claim to the copy as belongin
= Y him. st. COLUMBIA refused to give it W
, They appealed to the King in Tara, and Kin
Y Der;not, then the King of Ireland, called b
= councillors together, and they passed deere
Re- that St. COLUMBIA should give mp the copy b
- cause the original belonged to st. finnien, IL
e copy was only copy from the original, an
= should go with it; and the Irish decree bega
,f with: EVERY COW has a right to her ON
Il calf."
@ Now, mark the action of St. Columbian
1. As q saint he was a man devoted to pray
j, and fasting all the days of his life, aud u ms
/ gifted with miraculous powers. and yet und
I'd au th at as thorough an irishmau as over live
e. The moment that he heard that the King hs
:. 49, thok ba abonld Give back his precloI