A very happy St. Patrick’s Day to all who visit our website. In all of the celebrations in honour of St. Patrick, Patrick the man can often be forgotten, a mythical figure lost in the mists of time. It is important to bring to mind that he was a living, breathing person who lived in a real time albeit hundreds of years ago. Before he died Patrick left behind his “Confessions” an autobiographical account of his life and his journey to Ireland, so we can read in his own words the reality of his life. Below is a short excerpt from that “Confession” giving an account of his call to come back to Ireland.
I saw, in a vision in the night, a man
whose name was Victoricus coming as it were from Ireland with so
many letters they could not be counted. He gave me one of these,
and I read the beginning of the letter, the voice of the Irish people.
While I was reading out the beginning of the letter, I thought I heard
at that moment the voice of those who were beside the wood of
Voclut, near the western sea. They called out as it were with
voice: “We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us.”
This touched my heart deeply, and I could not read any further; I
woke up then. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord granted
them what they were calling for.
Again and again I briefly put before you the words of my confession.
I testify in truth and in great joy of heart before God and his holy
angels that I never had any other reason for returning to that nation
from which I had earlier escaped, except the gospel and God’s
promises.
I pray for those who believe in and have reverence for God. Some of
them may happen to inspect or come upon this writing which Patrick,
a sinner without learning, wrote in Ireland. May none of them ever
say that whatever little I did or made known to please God was done
through ignorance. Instead, you can judge and believe in all truth that
it was a gift of God. This is my confession before I die.
from The Confession of St. Patrick
TRANSLATED BY PÁDRAIG MCCARTHY