The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-03-19
removed from its pages.

longs to the half-leSentlary class of
heroes. and all attempts to prove him
Il myth only fixed him more securely
on his pedestal of Irish history For.
though his origin may be obscure,
there is, in addition to the saints own
Cry. Confession. EpiStle to Coroticns,,
such overwhelming evidence covering
the middle and later periods of his life,
J that no reasonable person could qucs-
ton the actually of his mission in
Ireland.
The generally accepted chronology
of the saint is: Birth. 3S1: missionary
advent in Ireland. 1872: death. 1872 or
A93. DR.. Whitley Stokes, however
places the advent in Ireland as early
as the year 39I, while DIR. Todd puts it
as late as $50.
1t is of little import to us that st.
| Patrick wlS not born in Ireland, and
we may well be satisfied with the
beautiful legend which tells us how
in a PARKWAY land the saint heard the
voice of the Irish calling to him to
come and walk once more among
them. The appeal was made in tones
so eloquent that the saint left home
and kindred to return to the land
where he had known only the hard
ships of slavery: and it thenceforth
became the land of his adoption. st.
Patrick is indeed the first of all the
illustrious band of heroes who. hav-
ig entered Ireland as strangers, be,
came afterwards more Irish than the
Irish themselves. He is proud to style
himself Apostle of the Irish" and
henceforward the welfare of the chill
dren of Erin is his one thought in life
and death.
This spirit is well revealed in the
sublime legend which relates how, on
Mount Cruachan, ST Patrick demands
gifts of such magnitude for his people
that at length an angel appears and
rebukes him, saying:
The gifts thy soul demands, demand
them not.
For they are mighty and immeasur-
able.
And over-great for granting.
To this warning. however, the saint
replied undaunted:
This Mount Cruachan will not leave
Alive, till all be granted to the last.
And from Shrovetde till Easter he
storms the citadels of heaven with
prayers, unsatisticd, though promised,
that Ireland. then known as the Isle of
Shades, would soon be known as an
island of sanctity and learning and
that the people then lying in dark
ness would one day shine brightest Of
all of earth. He still prolongs his
vi@ils and prayers. as If unsatisfed
even when assured by the angel that
though
Many Il race.
Storytelling in sunshine of it's prosper
Gus years.
Shall cease from Faith and. shamed
though shameless. sink
Back to its native clay: but over thine
| God shall the shadow of his hand on
tend.
And through the night of centuries
teach to her
In woe that song which, when the na-
lions wake,
Shall sound their glad deliverance.
He ceases his pleading only when
on Easter eve he wins at last the
promise that on the day of doom, he,
Patrick will be told to count his flock
upon the right hand of the Judge:
Thus spoke the Lord
When they that with me walked
Sit with me on their everlasting
thrones,
Judging the twelve tribes of mine
Israel
Thy people thou shalt judge in right
cOusnesS.
Content with this assurance. Patrick
llnelt in gratitude and blest his land
Of Erie
| All his biographers agree in describ-
| ing Patrick as Il commanding person
| atty, genial. humble, scnsitively SYM
| pathetic, with great force of charac.
ter and irresistible determination. His
enthusiasm made way for him. and
he carried on his spiritual campaign
with heroic self-denying devotion and
love of men. Thus we find his great
charity and goodness of heart fire.
quently alluded to as qualities ever
abiding in him; and Fiaec, his con-
temporary, writes Of him that he "was
without loftiness or arrogance. it was
much of good he thought" His chief
reproach to the Druid was. "Hhou
canst do evil, but not good;" and when
complaint was made that in his
preaching he did not enforce the neces-
| Sity for almSgiVing, Patrick made the