St. Patrick - an Orthodox Saint?
This may
come as a surprise to many that St. Patrick was and is an Orthodox Saint
centuries before Rome split from the Holy Apostolic Church.
The rule
of thumb for Orthodox Christians is that a Latin Christian who lived after the
Great Schism of 1054, while they may have lived exemplary lives, are not saints
in the full sense of the Church’s understanding. But because he lived from c. 385 to 17 March
460/461 Patrick is considered part of the undivided Church and therefore is an
Orthodox saint.
St. Patrick’s Life
The name
“Patrick” is derived from the Latin “Patricius” which means “highborn.” He was born in the village of Bannavem
Taburniae. Its location is uncertain;
some scholars place it on the west coast of England, while others place it in
Scotland. His father was Calpurnius, a
Roman Decurion (an official responsible for collecting taxes) and a deacon in
the church. His grandfather, Potitus,
was a priest.
This
means that Patrick had a solid Christian upbringing and was well acquainted
with the refinements of Roman civilization.
But he lived on the edge of civilization at a time when the Roman Empire
was under siege by barbarians. When
Patrick was sixteen he was kidnapped by pirates, taken to Ireland, and there
sold as a slave. He was put to work as a
herder of swine on a mountain in County Antrim.
Looking
back on his youth, he recounts:
I was at that time about sixteen years of
age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in
Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite
drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our
priests who used to remind us of our salvation.
(Confessio §1)
Although
Patrick had a Christian upbringing, he took his faith for granted. This complacency would be shaken by the
calamity of being taken into exile. For
the next six years he spent much of his time in solitude and prayer which would
prepare him for life as a monastic. During this time Patrick also learned the
local language which would prepare him for his future work as a missionary
bishop.
But after I reached Ireland I used to pasture
the flock each day and I used to pray many times a day. More and more did the
love of God, and my fear of him and faith increase, and my spirit was moved so
that in a day [I said] from one up to a hundred prayers, and in the night a like
number. . . . (Confessio §16)
His
escape from slavery resulted from two visions.
In the first vision it was revealed that he would return home. The second vision told him his ship was
ready. He then walked two hundred miles
to the coast, succeeded in boarding a ship, and reunited with his parents.
Sometime
later Patrick studied for the priesthood under St. Germanus in Gaul
(France). Eventually, he was consecrated
as a bishop and entrusted with the mission to Ireland. Patrick had a dream in which he heard the
Irish people begging him to come back to them.
There were other missionaries in Ireland but it was St. Patrick who had
the greatest success. For this reason,
he is known as “The Enlightener of Ireland.”
Evangelizing
the Irish people was not an easy task.
The Irish populace regarded him with hostility and disdain. He was a foreigner and, worst yet, a former
slave. Despite the opposition, Patrick
persevered in his missionary calling and baptized many into Christ. This resulted in churches and monasteries all
across Ireland.
In his
autobiography Patrick described his motivation for doing missionary work:
I am greatly God’s debtor, because he granted
me so much grace, that through me many people would be reborn in God, and soon
after confirmed, and that clergy would be ordained everywhere for them, the
masses lately come to belief, whom the Lord drew from the ends of the earth,
just as he once promised through his prophets: ‘To you shall the nations come
from the ends of the earth. . . . (Confessio §38)
St.
Patrick’s missionary labors would result in a blessing, not just to the Irish,
but to humankind as well. How the Irish
Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill tells how Ireland became an isle of saints
and scholars, preserving Western civilization while the Continent was being
overrun by barbarians.
American
culture has been richly blessed by the presence of the Irish. In the US, March 17th has become something
close to a national holiday. While in
many instances St. Patrick’s day has become more of an excuse for partying, it
can also be made into an occasion for renewing our faith in Christ.
St. Patrick’s Faith
We learn
of his faith through the well known Breastplate of St. Patrick. It is also known as the Lorica (Latin for
‘breastplate.’). In the monastic
tradition a lorica is a prayer/incantation for spiritual protection.
Below are
some excerpts of the rather lengthy but powerful and inspiring prayer. There is a strong masculine and militant tone
in Patrick’s prayer that contrasts with the softer, more feminine quality of
later Christian spirituality.
I arise today
through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness of the
Creator of creation.
***
I arise today
through the strength of Christ with His
Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with
His Burial,
through the strength of His Resurrection with
His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the
Judgment of Doom.
Patrick’s
commitment to Orthodoxy can be seen in the third stanza which refers to the
fellowship of the saints and angelic hosts.
His was not the faith of rugged individualism but one marked by a
profound awareness of the interconnectedness with the spirit and biblical
worlds as expressed in the Liturgy.
I arise today
through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
in obedience of Angels, in the service of the
Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of
Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of
Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of
righteous men.
In the
fourth stanza we learn of Patrick’s zeal for holy Orthodoxy and spiritual
warfare against the forces of darkness.
I summon today all these powers between me
(and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power that
may oppose my body and my soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics,
against craft of idolatry,
against spells of witches and smiths and
wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers man’s
body and soul.
Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance of reward.
Living in
dangerous times Patrick was keenly aware of the dangers all around him and
constantly invoked divine protection as he went about his missionary and
pastoral labors.
Honoring St. Patrick Today
One key
means by which the Orthodox Church honors its saints is by remembering them on
their feast day. Usually during the
Vespers and Matins service preceding the Liturgy, we hear a short summary of
the saint’s life and sing a hymn celebrating God’s work in that saint’s life. The Orthodox Church in America’s website
posted the two hymns for St. Patrick’s feast day:
Troparion — Tone 3
Holy
Bishop Patrick, / Faithful shepherd of Christ’s royal flock, / You filled
Ireland with the radiance of the Gospel: / The mighty strength of the Trinity!
/ Now that you stand before the Savior, / Pray that He may preserve us in faith
and love!
Kontakion — Tone 4
From
slavery you escaped to freedom in Christ’s service: / He sent you to deliver
Ireland from the devil’s bondage. / You planted the Word of the Gospel in pagan
hearts. / In your journeys and hardships you rivaled the Apostle Paul! / Having
received the reward for your labors in heaven, / Never cease to pray for the
flock you have gathered on earth, / Holy bishop Patrick!
Source: https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/orthodoxbridge/is-st-patrick-an-orthodox-saint/
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
About Our Blog
Welcome to the official blog of the Catalogue of St.Elisabeth Convent! The blog includes recent ministry updates of the convent, sermons, icons, personal stories and everything related to Orthodox Christianity. Join our Catalog of Good Deeds and become part of the ministry of St.Elisabeth Convent! #CatalogOfGoodDeeds
Most Popular Posts
Partners
