The Life of St. Patrick

The Life of St. Patrick

By: Muirchú Moccu Macthéni

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up quickly and I would be a terrible Ph.D. student if I just let it pass without any mention. Many of you already know this, but I am a little more than a year into my doctoral program through the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. My research project is focused on the Life of St. Patrick by Muirchú. This hagiographic work written in the latter half of the seventh century outlines many of the legends and deeds attributed to St. Patrick. 

It's a fascinating work that in my opinion does not get the theological credit that it deserves. My project idea is to use the Inductive Bible Study method to evaluate its theological content. The idea of peace with God resonates through the entire work. From Patrick finding peace with God while a captive in Ireland, to God intervening to prevent war from breaking out over the body of St. Patrick. It ends on a beautiful note of peace not just within the human soul, but throughout Ireland.

Now much of the work is based off legend and most scholars agree that within it there is very little historical value. However, the stories contained in its pages are fun, well-crafted, and intended to be read theologically, not necessarily historically. One such story involves Patrick in a trial of divinities between the pagan religion of Old Ireland and Christianity. 

The narrative begins on the eve of Easter with coming within sight of the High King of all Ireland at Tara. There is a rule in the land that no one may light a fire before the royal fire was lit at Tara. Patrick, however, lights the Easter fire which enrages the King Loíguire and his druids. They go to confront Patrick out on the plain and one of the druids dares to speak against the Most High God and he is thrown up into the air and falls to the ground dead. They try then to attack Patrick and his companions but are thrown into confusion and end up fighting themselves. At the end only the King, Queen, and one other druid are left standing. King Loíguire bows before Patrick yet intends to kill him and miraculously Patrick and his companions are transformed into eight stags with a fawn.

The next morning Patrick enters the hall of King Loíguire while at banquet. The druid who escaped from the conflict the night before slips poison into Patrick’s cup. Patrick, knowing what had happened, blesses the cup and the liquid turns into ice. He tips it over and the drop of poison falls harmlessly out. He then blessed the cup once again and it turned back into harmless liquid of which Patrick partakes.

It is then suggested that Patrick and this druid perform signs over the land. Patrick accepts this challenge and the druid suggests producing snow over the entire plain. Patrick responds that he does not desire to “induce things contrary to the will of God.” The druid then proceeds, through magical incantations, to make snow appear as high as a man’s belt over the whole plain. When Patrick asks the druid to take away the snow, he says that he cannot until the next day. Patrick, then says a prayer and the snow miraculously disappears. The same pattern is done with a shadow and when Patrick once again expels the shadow, the druid begins to see his end.

The last test comes at the suggestion of Patrick. He commands them to build a house, one side with dry wood and the other with living. He then tells the druid to take his cloak and go into the living half of the house. Patrick’s boy Benignus takes the druid’s robe and proceeds into the dry half. The house is then set to flame. The living half burns up completely, killing the druid in the process and the only thing left is Patrick’s cloak. The other dry half is untouched except for the cloak of the druid which is burned up yet doesn’t touch or even singe Benignus.

King Loíguire then fearing for his life converts to Christianity and allows Patrick to move freely through the land. This “baptism through fire” represents the coming of the Kingdom to the entire island.

God uses St. Patrick in miraculous ways. He is attributed as the one who brought Christianity to the whole of Ireland. He was a man who loved God deeply, was one of the first people to speak out against slavery, and lived his life devoted to Christ.

I want to close this post with a few lines from Patrick’s Breastplate:

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

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.

May each and every one of us keep Christ at the center of everything following the example of St. Patrick.

St. Patrick Icon By Ted.