Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/614

 PATRICK

556.

PATRICK

victory over Paganism. The following is a literal translation from the old Irish text: —

I bind to myself to-day

The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trin- ity: I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself to-day

The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,

The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,

The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascen- sion,

The virtue of His coming on the Judgment Day.

I bind to myself to-day

The virtue of the love of seraphim,

In the obedience of angels.

In the hope of resurrection unto reward,

In prayers of Patriarchs,

In predictions of Prophets,

In preaching of Apostles,

In faith of Confessors,

In purity of holy Virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself to-day The power of Heaven, The light of the sun, The brightness of the moon, The splendour of fire, The flashing of lightning. The swiftness of wind. The depth of sea, The stability of earth. The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself to-day

God's Power to guide me,

God's Might to uphold me,

God's Wisdom to teach me,

God's Eye to watch over me,

God's Ear to hear me,

God's Word to give me speech,

God's Hand to guide me,

God's Way to lie before me,

God's Shield to shelter me,

God's Host to secure me,

Against the snares of demons.

Against the seductions of vices.

Against the lusts of nature.

Against everyone who meditates injury to me.

Whether far or near,

Whether few or with many.

I invoke to-day all these virtues

Against every hostile merciless power

Which may assail my body and my soul,

Against the incantations of false prophets.

Against the black laws of heathenism.

Against the false laws of heresy.

Against the deceits of idolatry.

Against the spells of women, and smiths, and

druids. Against every knowledge that binds the soul of

man.

Christ, protect me to-day Against every poison, against burning. Against drowning, against death-wound. That 1 may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in the fort, Christ in the chariot seat.

Christ in the poop,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself to-day

The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trin- ity, I believe the Trinity in the Unity The Creator of the Universe.

St. Patrick remained during Easter week at Slane and Tara, unfolding to those around him the lessons of Divine truth. Meanwhile the national games were being celebrated a few miles distant at Taillten (now Telltown) in connexion with the royal feast. St. Patrick proceeding thither solemnly administered Baptism to Conall, brother of the Ard-Righ Leoghaire, on Wednesday, 5 April. Benen and others had al- ready been privately gathered into the fold of Christ, but this was the first public administering of bap- tism, recognized by royal edict, and hence in the an- cient Irish Kalendars to the fifth of April is assigned "the beginning of the Baptism of Erin". This first Christian royal chieftain made a gift to Patrick of a site for a church which to the present day retains the name of Donagh-Patrick. The blessing of heaven was with Conall's family. St. Columba is reckoned among his descendants, and many of the kings of Ireland until the eleventh century were of his race. St. Patrick left some of his companions to carry on the work of evangelization in Meath, thus so auspiciously begun. He would himself visit the other territories. Some of the chieftains who had come to Tara were from Focluth, in the neighbourhood of Killala, in Connaught, and as it was the children of Focluth who in vision had summoned him to return to Ireland, he resolved to accompany those chieftains on their re- turn, that thus the district of Focluth would be among the first to receive the glad tidings of Retlemption. It affords a convincing proof of the ditlicultics that St. Patrick had to overcome, that though full liberty to preach the Faith throughout Erin was granted by the monarch Leoghaire, nevertheless, in order to procure a safe conduct through the intervening territories whilst proceeding towards Connaught he had to pay the price of fifteen slaves. On his way thither, passing through Granard he learned that at Magh-Slecht, not far distant, a vast concourse was engaged in offering worship to the chief idol Crom-Cruach. It was a huge pillar-stone, covered with slabs of gold and silver, with a circle of twelve minor idols around it. He pro- ceeded thither, and with his crosier smote the chief idol that crumbled to dust; the others fell to the ground. At Killala he found the whole people of the territory assembled. At his preaching, the king and his six sons, with 12,000 of the people, became docile to the Faith. He spent seven years visiting every district of Connaught, organizing parishes, forming dioceses, and instructing the chieftains and people. On the occasion of his first visit to Rathcrogan, the royal seat of the kings of Connaught, situated near Tulsk, in the County of Roscommon, a remarkable incident occurred, recorded in many of the authentic narratives of the saint's life. Close by the clear foun- tain of Clebach, not far from the royal abode, Patrick and his venerable companions had pitched their tents and at early dawn were chanting the praises of the Most High, when the two daughters of the Irish monarch — Ethne, the fair, and Fedelm, the ruddy — came thither, as was their wont, to bathe. Astonished at the vision that presented itself to them, the royal maidens cried out: "Who are ye, and whence do ye come? Are ye phantoms, or fairies, or friendly mortals? " St. Patrick said to them: "It were better you would adore and worship the one true God, whom we announce to you,