Orthodox Feast of +Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ^

[Kolokotronis]

Apolytikion in the Third Tone

O Holy Hierarch, equal of the Apostles, Saint Patrick, wonderworker and enlightener of Ireland: Intercede with the merciful God that He grant unto our souls forgiveness of offences.

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

The Master revealed thee as a skilful fisher of men; and casting forth nets of Gospel preaching, thou drewest up the heathen to piety. Those who were the children of idolatrous darkness thou didst render sons of day through holy Baptism. O Patrick, intercede for us who hounour thy memory.

Synaxarion:

Saint Patrick, the Apostle of the Irish, was seized from his native Britain by Irish marauders when he was sixteen years old. Though the son of a deacon and a grandson of a priest, it was not until his captivity that he sought out the Lord with his whole heart. In his Confession, the testament he wrote towards the end of his life, he says, "After I came to Ireland - every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed - the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was so moved that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many at night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountain; and I would rise for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm." After six years of slavery in Ireland, he was guided by God to make his escape, and afterwards struggled in the monastic life at Auxerre in Gaul, under the guidance of the holy Bishop Germanus. Many years later he was ordained bishop and sent to Ireland once again, about the year 432, to convert the Irish to Christ. His arduous labours bore so much fruit that within seven years, three bishops were sent from Gaul to help him shepherd his flock, "my brethren and sons whom I have baptized in the Lord - so many thousands of people," he says in his Confession. His apostolic work was not accomplished without much "weariness and painfulness," long journeys through difficult country, and many perils; he says his very life was in danger twelve times. When he came to Ireland as its enlightener, it was a pagan country; when he ended his earthly life some thirty years later, about 461, the Faith of Christ was established in every corner.

Reading courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery Apolytikion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery Kontakion courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery

[Kolokotronis]

Looks like the GOA has FINALLY come around to celebrating this GREAT FEAST of one of the GREATEST OF SAINTS on the right day! :)

[Kolokotronis]

St. Patrick ping!

[Professional Engineer]

Patron saint of Engineers bump.

[Kolokotronis]

"Patron saint of Engineers"

Really? I never knew that. I must say that you engineers couldn;t have picked a better one! :)

[Indy Pendance]

Bump! I'll drink a green beer for all the FR Engineers!

[katnip]

I love Saint Patrick's prayer, called the Lorica or Deer's Cry. It's too long maybe to post here but here's part and a link.

The Lorica

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. I bind unto myself the Name, the strong Name of the Trinity; by invocation of the same: The Three in One, and One in Three, of whom all nature has creation: Eternal Father, Spirit, Word, praise to the Lord of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

[Agrarian]

Here is last year's thread, where the icon came through OK, and some good discussion.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all Irish Orthodox!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1364366/posts

I've heard some great Irish jokes recently (as always happens around this time of year), but can't really share them on a reverent thread like this one...

[pravknight]

You all might like this link:

http://celticchristianity.org/

[NYer]

St. Patrick Ping!

[SoothingDave]

Orthodox Feast of +Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland

Shouldn't you guys be celebrating this, like, a week after us or so? ;-)

SD

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Link to St. Patrick's Confession

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/patrick/confession.toc.html

St. Patrick's Breastplate (hymn version with midi)
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/t/stpatric.htm

St. Patrick's creed from the Confession:

There is no other God,
nor ever was, nor will be,
than God the Father unbegotten,
without beginning,
from whom is all beginning,
the Lord of the universe,
as we have been taught;

and His son Jesus Christ,
whom we declare to have always
been with the Father, spiritually and
ineffably begotten by the Father
before the beginning of the world,
before all beginning;

and by Him are made all things
visible and invisible.
He was made man, and,
having defeated death,
was received into heaven by the Father;

and He hath given Him all
power over all names in heaven,
on earth, and under the earth,
and every tongue shall confess
to Him that Jesus Christ is Lord and God,
in whom we believe, and whose advent
we expect soon to be,
judge of the living and of the dead,
who will render to every man
according to his deeds; and

He has poured forth upon us
abundantly the Holy Spirit,
the gift and pledge of immortality,
who makes those who believe
and obey sons of God and
joint heirs with Christ;
and Him do we confess and adore,
one God in the Trinity of the Holy Name.


I hate the way St. Patrick's day is often celebrated in the US, but I love St. Patrick dearly.

St. Patrick, pray for us.

[Ohioan from Florida]

You can post your Irish jokes on another thread! I'd love to see them! Use keyword "St. Patrick" on the search bar to find another thread, and then ping me, please.

[Ohioan from Florida]

I don't like the beer drinking festivities, but I do enjoy seeing all the green people wear! I went to St. Patrick's School when I was younger, and it was one of the few days we didn't have to wear our uniform (but you had to wear something green, of course)! One year we performed "Finnian's Rainbow" (or a grade school version thereof), and one of our Irish nuns, dear ol' Sister Margaret danced a jig for all to see! What sweet and pleasant memories!

God bless you Sister Margaret, wherever you are!!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

It's the debauchery that I don't think the dear saint would have approved of.

But the love of the people he gave up so much for, he appreciates that, I suspect!

[Kolokotronis]

" Shouldn't you guys be celebrating this, like, a week after us or so? ;-)"

Nope...that would be the Old Calendarists. Bottom line is, TODAY, no matter what date one calls it, is St. Patricks Day!:)

All Hail to St. Patrick who brought to our island the Gift of God's Grace, the Sweet Light of His Love!

[SoothingDave]

All Hail to St. Patrick who brought to our island the Gift of God's Grace, the Sweet Light of His Love!

Amen and slainte!

SD

[Salvation]

Also here!

Orthodox Feast of St Patrick, the Enlightener of Ireland, March 17

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Though the son of a deacon and a grandson of a priest,

Church clergy or pagan?

[Kolokotronis]

Church