A SERMON FOR THE FEAST OF ST. PATRICK OF IRELAND

A Victorian Stained Glass Icon of St. Patrick of Ireland  

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

INTRODUCTION 

Welcome to St. Alopen’s Church! Today we gather with joy and gratitude to celebrate the feast of our holy father among the saints, Patrick of Ireland. This day holds a special place in the hearts of countless Christians around the world, as we honor the Apostle to the Irish, whose tireless labors and unwavering faith brought the light of the Gospel to a land once shrouded in darkness. His legacy endures as a powerful witness to the grace of God and the enduring strength of the Ancient Church of the West. 

For me and my family, this feast is especially dear. St. Patrick was my father’s favorite patron Saint, inspiring him with his courage and devotion, and his mission to bring the Holy Gospel to the Celtic people of the green hills, now as much in Kentucky as in ancient Ireland! It is also the birthday of my eldest daughter and the feast of the namesake patron of my youngest son. Most precious of all, it is the day on which our entire family was baptized into Christ and received into Holy Orthodoxy so many years ago - a day marked by the joy of new life in Christ and a renewed commitment to walk in the ancient paths of the faith. 

As we enter into this celebration, let us remember that the story of St. Patrick is not merely a tale of ancient days, but a living testimony of what God can do with a willing heart and an obedient spirit. May we be inspired anew by his example, strengthened by his prayers, and resolved to follow Christ with the same zeal and love that animated his holy life.

SCRIPTURE

THE EPISTLE: Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 39:6-10

When the great Lord will, he shall be filled with the spirit of understanding: he shall pour out wise sentences, and give thanks unto the Lord in his prayer. He shall direct his counsel and knowledge, and in his secrets shall he meditate. He shall shew forth that which he hath learned, and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord. Many shall commend his understanding; and so long as the world endureth, it shall not be blotted out; his memorial shall not depart away, and his name shall live from generation to generation. Nations shall shew forth his wisdom, and the congregation shall declare his praise. 

THE EPISTLE: 2 Timothy 4:1-8 - 

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 

THE HOLY GOSPEL: St. Matthew 13:24-32 - 

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 

Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 

SERMON

Beloved in Christ, today we gather to honor our holy father among the saints, Patrick, Apostle to Ireland, whose life and ministry stand as a radiant testimony to the enduring grace of God and the power of the Gospel. We remember St. Patrick not merely as a figure of folklore, but as a true son of the Ancient Church of the West, a witness to the Faith that we have inherited from our Anglo-Celtic forebears. Let us reflect on the Scriptures appointed for this day, that we may gain insight into the holy calling that God placed upon his life and the mission to which he gave himself without reserve. 

The Book of Ecclesiasticus declares, "When the great Lord will, he shall be filled with the spirit of understanding: he shall pour out wise sentences, and give thanks unto the Lord in his prayer." (Ecclus. 39:6) How fitting these words are for our holy Patrick, who, though born among the Britons and educated in the Christian faith, was taken captive and brought to the pagan land of Ireland. In that strange land, God filled him with the spirit of understanding, that he might see not only his own tribulation but the greater purpose of divine Providence. In the solitude of his captivity, Patrick learned to pray without ceasing, to give thanks even in suffering, and to contemplate the God of his fathers with a pure and undivided heart. 

The Psalmist likewise proclaims, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will receive the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord." (Psalm 115:12-13) Patrick, once a slave, received that cup of salvation, not in bitterness, but in thanksgiving. When he was delivered and returned to his homeland, he might well have been content to dwell in peace, but the Lord called him anew to the very land of his captivity. With gratitude and love for the souls of those who had once enslaved him, he returned as a shepherd, a father, and a fearless apostle. 

St. Paul’s charge to Timothy resonates deeply with St. Patrick's ministry: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." (2 Tim. 4:2) Patrick fulfilled this charge, bearing the light of Christ to the heathen Irish, suffering persecution, slander, and hardship. Yet, as St. Paul writes, he "fought a good fight" and "kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7) His labor was not in vain, for Ireland was transformed from a land of pagan darkness to a beacon of Christian devotion and learning, raising up countless monks, saints, and scholars whose influence shaped the whole of Western Christendom. 

Our Lord’s parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:24-30) teaches us that, in the field of the world, both good and evil grow side by side until the harvest. In Ireland, Patrick sowed the good seed of the Gospel, even as the remnants of Druidic superstition persisted. Yet he did not despair or resort to violence, but patiently bore witness to Christ. Like the mustard seed that grew into a mighty tree (Matt. 13:31-32), his small beginnings gave rise to a flourishing Church, deeply rooted in Scripture, prayer, and sacramental life. 

REFLECTION

St. Patrick’s own words, preserved in his “Confessio” and his “Lorica”, speak of his utter dependence on God: 

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,

Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,

Through the strength of His resurrection and 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 service of archangels,

In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In the prayers of patriarchs,

In preachings of the apostles,

In faiths of confessors,

In innocence of virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of the sun,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of the wind,

Depth of the sea,

Stability of the earth,

Firmness of the 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 hosts to save me

From snares of the devil,

From temptations of vices,

From every one who desires me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,

Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom,

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ shield me today

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that reward may come to me in abundance.

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 in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through a confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation

This ancient hymn, the “Breastplate of St. Patrick”, reveals not only his profound spirituality but his deep confidence in the providential care of Almighty God. He knew that his strength lay not in his own merits but in the unceasing presence of Christ. 

SUMMARY

Today, as we remember our Anglo-Celtic inheritance, we are called to rekindle that same fire of faith, that same courage and conviction that marked St. Patrick’s life. Ours is a legacy rooted in the Ancient Church of the West, the faith of the apostles handed down through our British and Irish forefathers. Let us honor this inheritance by being steadfast in prayer, bold in witness, and patient in suffering. 

We live in an age that increasingly resembles the paganism of St. Patrick’s time. Yet we, too, must preach the word, whether in season or out, with the same unwavering dedication to the Gospel of Christ. We must live as those who believe that the smallest seed of faith can grow into a mighty tree and that God is able to transform hearts even in the most hostile of environments. 

Therefore, let us give thanks to God for St. Patrick, Apostle to the Irish, who taught us how to love our enemies, to endure hardship for the sake of Christ, and to build the Church upon the rock of faith. And as we follow his example, may we be filled with the same spirit of understanding, pouring out wise sentences and giving thanks to the Lord in our prayer. 

May God grant us the strength and courage to bear witness in our generation as St. Patrick did in his. 

COLLECT

Let us pray…

Almighty and Everlasting God, who didst call thy servant Patrick from bondage to be an Apostle to the Irish people, and didst fill him with the spirit of understanding and steadfast faith: Grant us, we beseech thee, the same grace to preach thy word with boldness, to endure hardships with patience, and to love even those who hate us, that, following his holy example, we may bring forth abundant fruit to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.