Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-19
IRELAaD'S PATRON SAINT.
A Beautiful Word Picture by ReV.
T. Calmer, s j.
"5t. Patrick, His Life the Pro-
totype of the Life Of the
Irish People"

Rev. F. Cslmer, s. j., lectured IN
st. Philomena's cathedral, on last Sat-
urday evening, the festival of st. Pat
rick, before an audience which filled
the church. The subject was "The
life Of st. Patrick, the prototype of
the life of the Irish people," 1t was
q brilliant efJ rt, lasting for more than
an hour, and was listened to through.
out with breathless interest and a.ten-
tion. From the lecture the following
extracts are made. Father Oalmer
lectures again next Sunday evening
in tho church of the Holy Family.
In the book Of Ecclesiasticus, the
wlse-man exhorts us ''to praise men
of renown and our fathers in their
generation; ~ these men of mercy,
whose Cody deeds have not failed;
good things continue with their seed.
Their posteriterity are q holy inheri-
lance; and their seed hath stood In
the covenants; and their children, for
their sakes, remain forever; their seed
and their glory shall not be forsaken.
Let the people show forth their wis
dom, and the church declare their
praise " (Eccl. "A
We are assembled here Tonight,
obedient to this exhortation: we are
here with filial devotion to praise that
man Of renown, whose Cody deeds
have not failed, whose good things
continue with his seed, whose chill.
dren's glory shall not be forsaken--
the father of u generation, whose
praise the church declares to. day
st. Patrick, the father of the Irish
people aud their patron saint. There
are some, not of our faith, who donot
understand the enthusiasm awakened
In every Irish heart at the return of
his festival every year. But let them
examine Its motive, and ! doubt not
they will consider themselves prema-
ture In their censure. Glory Is the
homage paid to excellence, and praise
Ia the expression Of this feeling. Yet
so various are the opinions Of men,
according to their different educa.
tlons, pursuits and habits, that what
Is meritorious with some, by others
10 neglected and despised. Hence,
the children Of the world often style
him glorious whose name is not wri,-
ten In the book of life; and eminence
in crime has been praised. But true
excellence is based only on virtue and
that glory, which comes not from God
and tends not to His greater honor,
Ia but a dream which returning con.
seriousness puts to flight, o phantom
which should never be esteemed by q
Christian people.
of this we ara reminded by the
words of the apostle: "He that glori-
rieth, let him glory In the Lord; for
not he that commsndeth himself Is
approved, but whom God command.
eth" God alone, therefore, who
knoweth all hearts, renders to each
according to his merits, and those
whom He has honored, we can
not err In praising And having
thus the appreciation of Heaven,
We care not what the world may say
we will praise that man, whom God
glorifed and "whose glory shall not
be forsaken." But even though We
had not this visible sanction from on
high, while faith and virtue and coun.
try are dear to our souls, nature itself
would impel ID to praise him whose
festival We oelebrate-the chosen min.
lister OF the Almighty, the regenerator
Of a country still dear to our hearts,
the spiritual parent Of numberless Of
illustrious saints, tour fathers in
their generation" If our tongues be
silent, our hearts must speak, and, at
least, what Irishman would wish,
though he we're able, to hush the
pleasing thrill that throbs within his
breast when, on this day, before the
altar OF his faith, he calls to mind his
patron and parent, the glorious st.
Patrick, apostle of Ireland.
He will have an additional reason
or motive, If, after thess general re-
marks, no sttentively considers the
subject, which I have chosen as the
theme Of . few words, this evening:
"The Life Of st. Patrick, the Proto.
type Of the Life Of tho Irish People,"
There IL q remarkable passage
found In the Acts of the Apostles,
which may be applied to St. Patrick
st. Luke. speaking of st.. Paul, the
apostle Of the Gentiles, relates that
the Lord said to him: "For this
event have I appeared to thee, that I
may make thee q minister and . wit.
ness of those things wherein I will ap.
pear to thee, to open their eyes, that
they may be converted from darkness
to light and from power of Satan to
God, that they may receive forgive
ness OF sins and a 1T among the saint
BY the faith that IL In me-"
&c. rs II &c. These words strike
the keynote Of my discourse:
they body forth the leading
Idea to which I desire to call your
attention; they portray the salient
features OF the life of the apostle and
that OF his people and with Justice
do | apply them to him. For like
Paul, when be stood before King
Agrippa, giving him an account of his
conversion and h's subsequentapostolic
life, St. Patrick, God'sveeselof election
20 carry His name before gentiles and
kings, might have spoken these sams
words, when he stood before the proud
kings of Tara. God had delivered
him from the people, and the nation
to which He had sent him to open the
eyes of the Irish people shrouded In
the gloom of idolatry ''that they