Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

While you sleep among the sheepfolds,
the wings of the dove shine with silver,
her feathers glow with green gold.
~Psalm 67

(From this morning's Office of Readings.)
According to American Catholic, St. Patrick was born either in Dunbarton, Scotland, Cumberland, England, or in northern Wales. At the age of 16, he was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland. Forced to remain outside for long periods of time tending his master's flock, he prayed constantly and experienced a conversion.

He escaped after 6 years, probably to France, and later to Britain. He returned to Ireland a priest, and paid the price of his ransom to his former master, Milchu of Dalriada.

He converted pagan Ireland, the country that had formerly enslaved him, to Christianity.

1 comment:

TACParent said...

He was a very brave and courageous man.

Dymphna's favorite quotes


"Slavery ended in medieval Europe only because the church extended its sacraments to all slaves and then managed to impose a ban on the enslavement of Christians (and of Jews). Within the context of medieval Europe, that prohibition was effectively a rule of universal abolition. "— Rodney Stark

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