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[[Image:Patrick of Ireland.jpg|right|frame|St. Patrick of Ireland]]Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Patrick of Ireland''', [[Bishop]] of Armagh and [[Enlightener]] of Ireland, was born a Briton. Captured and brought to Ireland as a slave, he escaped and returned home. Later, he returned to Ireland, bringing Christianity to its people. His feast day is [[March 17]]. ==Life==Saint Patrick was born around 390 (likely in 387), at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland. His name is from the Latin ''Patricius'', meaning ''high-born''. His parents were part of the Christian minority of Britain; his father, Calpurnius, was a [[deacon]]. Around the age of fourteen, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At age 20 he escaped and returned to England, where he received clerical training. He was ordained by St. [[Germanus of Auxerre|Germanus]], bishop of Auxerre. Around 430 he was ordained a bishop, after which he returned to Ireland. There, he preached the [[Gospels|Gospel]], reaching tribal chieftains, gaining their permission to teach their subjects also. He established an episcopal administration and led a [[monasticism|monastic]] lifestyle. St. Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, March 17, 461. ==Works attributed to Patrick=====''Confessio''===<sup>[[#External Links and Sources|1]]</sup> Saint Patrick wrote this semi-autobiography as a labor for God, explaining the story of his life to inspire others to believe and turn their lives to God. Additionally, he wished to address concerns his fellow clergy had about his holding the office of bishop. ===''Epistola''===<sup>[[#External Links and Sources|2]]</sup> Saint Patrick wrote this letter to the soldiers of King Coroticus to chastize them for capturing Christians of Patrick's flock as slaves. ===Explanation of the Trinity===Saint Patrick is most often recognized for likening the [[Trinity]] to a shamrock, illustrating that the shamrock has three parts, and yet is one; in a similar way, the Trinity has three persons, and is still one God. (cf. the [[OCA]]'s icon<sup>[[#REDIRECT External Links and Sources|3]]</sup>) ===Lorica of Saint Patrick===<sup>[[#External Links and Sources|4]]</sup> ''Lorica'' means ''breastplate'' in Latin. The story of this prayer is that Patrick and his followers used this most beautiful prayer to protect themselves from the people who wanted to kill them as they travelled across Ireland. It is also called the ''Deer's Cry'' (''Fáed Fíada'') because their enemies saw, not men, but deer. It may not have been written by Patrick, but is considered to reflect his theological focus on the Trinity. :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 Pomgolia[[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. :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 [[Patriarch]]s, in predictions of [[Prophet]]s,:in preachings of [[Apostles]], in faiths of [[Confessor]]s,:in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men. :I arise today:through the strength of Heaven::light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendour of Fire,:speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,:stability of Earth, firmness of Rock. :I arise today:through God's strength to pilot me::God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me,:God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me,:God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me,:God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me,:God's host to secure me::against snares of devils,:against temptations of vices,:against inclinations of nature,:against everyone who shall wish me ill,:afar and anear, alone and in a crowd. :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 [[heresy|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. :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 in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,:Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,:Christ in the mouth of every man 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. :Salvation is of the Lord.:Salvation is of the Lord.:Salvation is of Christ.:May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us. ==Works about Patrick==*Muirchu's ''Life of Saint Patrick'', written c. 683 (two centuries after Patrick's death), is the oldest existing, known work about Saint Patrick.<sup>[[#External Links and Sources|5]]</sup> ==External links and sources==*<sup>1</sup> [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/patrick/confession.i.html ''Confessio'' of Saint Patrick] (in [http://www.amdg.be/sankt/confess.htm French])*<sup>2</sup> [http://www.iol.ie/~santing/patrick/CoroticusFrame.htm ''Letter to Coroticus'']*<sup>3</sup> [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=100821 St. Patrick the Bishop of Armagh and Enlightener of Ireland] from the [[Orthodox Church in America]] website*<sup>4</sup> [http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/Poetry/StPatrick.html Saint Patrick's Lorica]*<sup>5</sup> [http://www.geocities.com/vortigernstudies/fabio/book4.3.htm Muirchu and his sources] by Fabio P. Barbieri*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=2365 Saint Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland] from the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]] website*[http://oca.org/FStropars.asp?SID=13&ID=100821 St. Patrick the Bishop of Armagh and Enlightener of Ireland: Troparion and Kontakion] from the [[Orthodox Church in America]] website*[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.v.xvi.xviii.html Patricius] from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library*[http://www.irelandseye.com/paddy2/patrick.html Saint Patrick of Ireland]*''Declaration'' and ''Letter'' from A.B.E. Hood, ed. and trans., ''St. Patrick: His Writings and Muirchu's Life''. (Totowa, NJ: Rowman and Littlefield, 1978.) ISBN 084766080X*[http://www.medievalchurch.org.uk/p_patrick.html Patrick]*[http://www.voskrese.info/spl/fiacc.html ''Hymn of Saint Fiacc''] (in [http://www.amdg.be/sankt/fiacc.html French])*[http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100001A/text122.html ''Annals of Ulster''] mentioning the relics of St. Patrick, in 552 AD*[http://celticchristianity.org/library/secund.html ''Audite, omnes amantes Deum''], or ''Hymn of St. Patrick, Teacher of the Irish'', by his nephew Saint Sechnall or Secundinus (in [http://www.amdg.be/sankt/patrick-sechnall.html French]) *[http://membres.lycos.fr/stmaterne/psomalis/patrick.pdf Byzantine Service (in Greek) to Saint Patrick (PDF)], Apostle of Ireland, by protopsaltis Panagiotis Somalis*Saint Patrick's ''Life'' in French, with [[icon]]s: [http://www.amdg.be/sankt/patrick-boll.html 1] [http://www.amdg.be/sankt/mar17.html 2] [[Category:Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Saints]][[Category:Bishops]][[Category:Missionaries]][[Category:Monastics]][[Category:Saints]]
