The Irish standard., 1889-03-30

susceptibility and teacha0lenesS on the
part of his hearer. st. Patrick studded
the country all oyer with churches
monasteries and converts, so much SC
that even before his death the country
was so famed for it's sanctity that it be'
came known to the world as the elsie
of Saints" And as though he saw with
prophetic eye the needs of the future,
as though his sanity vision penetrated
the depths of time as far forward as the
nineteenth century, when science is so
Justly encouraged; even then, away
back the corridors Of time, looking
away back through the dim vista of
fifteen hundred years, we ind science
ard religion going hand in handscl"
ence the hand-maid of religion; reli"
glon ever directing science and keeping
| che supernatural in view. Dprlng his
lifetime and shortly afterwards 1nonas~
terles sprang up in the island, which
were at once the homes Of learning ard
Of sanctity. HeI great schools at Clon-
ard, under St. Finian, at Clonfert, u1,s.
der St. Brendan, at Clonmacnoise,u under
St. Kierans, and at Bangor, under ST.
Comgall. were household words in the
homes of the civilized world ,and thous~
ands of students from the British Isles
and Continental Europe filed these
scholastic halls in quest Of learning and
holiness. Such was the progress ID
learning that the country earned for
herself the proud title Of the island OF
scholars as she had previously won for
herself the still more illustrious name
the isle of saints.
1t is OF little use for an individual or
for nation to WIN titles or distinctions
il afterwards they be forfeited or dis
honored. Henry VIII, Of England.
whilst young man, and unstained hy
the grosser crimes, won for himself the
title of Defender Of the Faith.'' But
like the fall of Lucifer from heaven.
like the fall of the rebel angels was the
depth of his descent. when he allowed
his passions to conquer HIM and him
self to be led away by the blind leaders
of false reformation. Not so with the
children Of St. Patrick; they have
maintained pure and unsuI]ied the titles
given long ago to their island and pre-
served them against we'll nigh INSOFAR
able difficulties And when ruthless in~
vaders and savage warfare had de-
stroyed their schools and put religion
under a ban, Young irishmen were
found who went forth to the schools of
Rome, and Louvain, and Paris, and
Salamanca in order 10 prepare them,
selves for the priesthood SO as to keep
alive at all hazards the faith and the
learning beQueathed 10 them by their
great father. ST. Patrick.
Religion never WORKS by halves. The
gentler sex, too, received heavenly
impulse from St. Patrick. Scarcely had
he gone to receive his crown of glory
when the ncblest of Ireland's daughters
appeared upon the scene in the person
OF st. Bridget. All that is noblest in
man is embodied ir Patrick, and all
that is sublinest in woman is concen-
trated in his spiritual dauyhtey, Brid-
get He is the type Of tho active life,
she of the contemplative; he the mirror
of true manhood, she of graceful VIC
manhood; he the personlGcat1on of for
titude, she OF divine love; he the per-
feet priest. she the model nun; he the
ideal which every Ir1shman should love
to copy. she the very poesy of religion
whom every Irish woman should be
proud to initiate.
\ he Immediate effect OF our saints
teaching was that the strife Of kings
and chieftains, which before formed the
main interest of our history, gave way
to the pure and peaceful triumphs Of
Christianity. Nlustrious saints Of both
sexes pass in review before our eyeg,
the cowl and the veil eclipse the glory
of the royal crown, and instead of the
grand and festive halls of Tara aud
Emania, the lonely cell Of the fasting
penitent become the scenes of fane.
Not content with building up the
church IN their own country, Irish mis-
sionarles-the disciples of St. Patrick
began to spread the light of faith in
other lands. st. COLUMBIA enlightened
the Western Islands and made Iona
the luminary of all the Caledonian re-
gions. st. Colum banus spread the light
through France and Italy, and st,
Calls monastery in Switzerland, which.
in the thirteenth century was erected
iuto a princedom, bears ample testi-
mony to the good works of another
Irish saint in that country. And thus,
through almost every country in Eu-
rope. from Italy to Norway, we trace
the fertiljzing footprints of St. Patrick's
di ciples, and follow them through the
wide waste ef ignorance and paganism
which then prevailed throughout the
continent. And wien, after the long
lapse of centuries, the tide OF progress
opened up new countries, there were
missionaries possessing the faith and a
portion of the zeal of Patrick to bring
.