ST. Patrick’s Breastplate is a beautiful old Irish prayer (perhaps incorrectly) attributed to the great saint, whose militance and love for a particular land and its people are inspiring. With the terrible abandonment of the Irish of the one true faith, their betrayal of their heritage and their surrender to false worship that is even more offensive than the pagan ceremonies Patrick fought against, this day set aside to honor the ancient missionary is mostly a travesty. The Irish truthfully have no one but themselves to blame for the scourge that is transforming their land. Frankly, I prefer not to wear green.

But Patrick ever remains true, though he must look upon Ireland and weep. He lived from 385-461 AD and, believe it or not, was born in Scotland.

He was the son of a high-ranking Roman family, but was carried off into slavery by Irish marauders when he was 16 and forced into shepherding. While in captivity in Ireland, though, he learned Celtic and the ways of Druidism, as his master was a Druid High Priest, two bits of knowledge that would help him later in evangelizing Irish pagans. He escaped his master, travelled about a bit — but desired to return to Ireland to evangelize, a task he was entrusted with by Pope Celestine I, and a task at which he was most successful: legend says that he even drove the snakes from that land with a sermon, but that could well be analogical: the Druids used serpents to symbolize the powers of the earth, and tattooed their bodies with them. (Source)

Here is an account of Patrick’s confrontations with Druid priests and here is the story of how he baptized the daughters of King Laeghaire. As Dr. Thomas Droleskey says, “Saint Patrick was not concerned about finding ‘common ground’ with the Druids.”

More devotions to the great saint can be found here.

On wings of holy charity
To Erin’s coast Saint Patrick came,
To curb the devil’s tyranny,
And spread the love of Jesus’s name.

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