The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-23


Ireland wa.s recently delivered il
Louisville. Ky. by Rev. Il. J. Lynch
Brethren. it is Just that you arc here
tonight to show your vencrntion Of ST.;
Brigid: homage is l.cr due here because
she is the patron saint of this parish
and has Il special care of the spiritual
welfare of every member of it. Many
of us owe her love because she was
such IL glorious member of the race
from which We have sprung: to all she
is Il worthy object of vcneration, be-
cause of her eminent sanctity. because
she was such a shining example of
chastity and such an energetic pro-
motcr of learning in that long ago
when education is said to have been al
most absolutely wanting.
st. Brigid was not the originator Of
virginity in Ireland: the dignity of wO-
manhood was held in high esteem by
the ancient Irish and, although their
pagan idea of marriage did not reach
the Christian standard. there was legal
recognition of the virtue which relates
to it, Indeed long before Christianity,
long before the advent of ST. Patrick,
the BrelOn laws which governed Ire
land then dcbarrcd the viOlator of wO-
man from the national army placed
the ban of disgrace upon him. 1t is
no wonder then when st. Patrick came
and announced among otl,cr parts Of
the GLAD tidings of great JOY" that the
Lord placed a special reward Oh Chris
tian virginity that it is
virgins who are the special companions
of the Rcdccmcr in the kingdom of His
glory-no wonder that this part of his
teaching should have been eagerly en-
braccd. Many a maiden consecratcd
herself to God by vows OF this virtue
during the thirty-sevcn years that
elapsed between the Introduction of
the Gospel and the vows of ST. Brigid;
but they were not nuns in the ordi-
nary sense of the word; they lived
at home or in private cells, not in
converts or communities. 1t is con-
vent life that ST. Brigid introduced
into Ireland.
Neither did learning nor civilization
begin with her day; they had ex-
listed there before her time. Cormnc
Mac Art had systcmatized the Brehon
law two hundred years before. The
dialogue Of Conor Mac Nessa, written
about the time of the birth of Christ,
is still extant, and no other evidence
of the civilization of the country ut
the time of the coming Of st. Patrick
is needed than the treatment he re,
ceivcd when be presented himself to
the king and national assembly ut Ta-
ra. The history Of missionary labors
in every other country is filled with
prosecutions, labeled with stripes,
crimsoned with life's red blood The
Irish monarch, attached though he was
to the religion of his country. with its
rites and it's traditions, determined to
give the newcomer n hearing and such
an opportunity Of presenting his doc
trincs MS would be satisfactory to all.
This king was not afraid OF reasoning
and discussion. He was MS well accus-
toned to them as he was to the sword,
and accordingly debate was ordered
between st. Patrick and the chief Of
the pagan priests. The discussion last
ed all day, and the Druid being worst
ed at every point appealed to the su-
pcrnatural--that is, which of them
Fcould exercise the greatest power
over the forces Of nature. The apostle
triumphcd. Did the king then dismiss
him indefinitely and like Festus, in the
case Of st. Paul, tell him he
would hear him at another time? No,
indeed, the assembly would have the
discussion to the end, there and then.
Another champion for the native side
was set up for the next day. This
time St. Patrick triumphcd more sig
nally than before. What then; did
the assembly fly into rage and order
the apostle to be cast into prison as
were his predecessors in Jerusalem;
did the people cast stones at the holy
man, as happened to st. Stephen! !
Nothing of the kind; learning, civiliza-
tion and the habit of thought enabled
them to accept the consequences of
logic and to accord to the visitor the
respect due to his triumph. Men who
could act thus can not be said to have
been barbarians. except in the sense
that they were not yet Christians. MOI
! ever subject to the eagles OF imperial
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