Show IV drw a a ft ook aam Q V ecclesiastical PRINT OF ST PATRICK EXPELLING THE SNAKES saint S t patrick a t e apostle of afka a ag 9 a 0 o V t just at the hour of dawn on easter sunday in the year A D an ini in ln i credibly ancient but ever impressive ceremony was unfolding itself upon the historic hill of tara in ireland the sacred hill was not then as it Is today a gracious gently sloping mound clothed in the ridi rich soft grass of the emerald isle jt it was a civic center crowded with buildings of massive oaken oaka n construction and had been for ages the sent seat of the ard rl or high king of ireland As the sun began to tint tho the eastern sky the ard RI rl himself leary could be seen by the multitude arrayed in splendid garments and surrounded by the chief druids druies lawgivers and poets of erin A soft respectful murmur rippled among the thousands of common people on the plain below for the sight was one to remember the ard RI rl moreover was a fighter of note and well liked it was a great moment in tho the year the hour of the coming of spring and the aryan an of these irish had never failed to celebrate it even during tho those selong long centuries when they yvere were fighting their way across asia and africa toward their lale isle of destiny peter gray wolf writes in the los angeles times ah the red rim of the sun peeped above tho the woods to wo east a thin wisp whip of smoke rose from tho the high altar there was a burst of mu ale doth dominated inked by the penetrating notes of the liard hap then indeed the whole vast assembly listened in absolute silence for the chief harpers of 0 ireland were there and they could make the vibrant chords speak aa with the music of the immortal gods eod nw now a chorus of youths and virgins added thel their r fresh young voices the people began to stir another spring had come com e to ireland ilous householders eho camb to the altar and lighted domestic topers copers fit at the sacred name flame at tho the same hour in eve every ry settlement in ireland the same ceremony though on a less splendid scale might have been beebi witnessed and indeed was unfolded wherever osithe oo 00 the wide enith earth the religion of the sun had I 1 its ts devotees the christians christiana arrovo e tb tir crowd id of spectators on tata tarn did not disperse as usual and there was an angry buzzing among the druids druies the high king turned expectantly toward the hill of slane not far off and watched it curious procession winding up the royal way escorted by the kings guards these were the apostles of the new faith christianity who the evening before when fill all the fires in ireland were quenched had bad dared to light a ceremonial fare alre on the hill of slane thus violating the unbroken tradition ot of centuries the drujda had instantly predicted that unless the unlawful blaze were put out and the christians punished there would be tin nn end to true religion forever king leary had sent men to put out the fire but somehow it was not put out but blazed all the moro more cheerily to the enormous discomfiture of the druids druies but the leader of the audaer audacious ous christians one patrick a man of majestic port had sent a courteous message to tho the king explaining that it was old christian custom to light tho the paschal alre on aas easter ter eve lie he promised premised to ap iga 1 1 a 9 9 I 1 he is patron saint of ireland he introduced christianity into ireland in A D ilia outstanding miracle is ridding ireland of serpents ile he was born at kilpatrick scotland in the year he died at downpatrick Down patrick 7 ireland march 17 his parents idere were christime Chris Christ tims kus he was the son of a H R liman man office holder of noble lineage As the old song says saint patrick uw a gentleman and came of daceno people his name comes from patriciac Patri Patric cias lus meaning the young patr patrician patricue icUm ilia his family name was buccat 1 ainz aj 47 ka 0 o 0 VIP 21 o to W pear before the king in the morn morning ingi end plead for a hearing and a place in the tolerant kingdom of ireland for the christian faith out outdid did druid miracles As patrick came up the hill so say the old traditions the druies druids performed many miracles including their well known feat of creating a dense fog to lead the christians astray but patricks lips moved steadily in prayer prater ile he matched every druid miracle with it a better one and he d did I 1 d not go astray in the ro rg X but moved straight to tho the high ling hing whom he be greeted as one strong man greets another other the chiefs chlecq and the lawgivers and the poets gathered around and there on tara hill at the very heart of ireland the most influential men in the country listened to the areat great est story and the most moat consummate dramatic narrative that they had ever heard it if waa the story of jesus christ tho the very son of god who loved mankind so deeply and so BO tenderly that he had bad incarnated ed among thin thian to teach and to bless forever to show a harassed humanity a path out of the terrible wilderness of life when patrick had finished was dead in ireland I 1 just as aa he had penetrated to the physical center of authority in erin by coming straight to tarn tara so BO his tale of the tender loving christ who had come down among men had penetrated to the center of the irish heart then and there that easter morn ho he converted and baptized a crowd of influential chiefs these men inea were profoundly moved by the story of the christ because the elements in it were so universal sacrifice they understood among them the lighting fighting man who sacrificed himself for hla big cause was extolled in song by all the bards barda and they were touched by the picture patrick drew of the lonely chief of men whose 1 purposes were constantly tripped up by hla his mean spirited and disloyal followers they stirred uneasily when he related the story of judas in credible treachery moral victory assured the no apostle knew ho he had won a great moral victory and when in the same week he attended the Tall tenn games near tara he converted a multitude patrick had conquered the citadel of the irish to conquer the provinces provinces cro vinces would take but a few years yeara who wits was this great soul now to ur UP grown almost legendary these are ar his own words telling the genesis of one of the greatest exploits ever pe performed 1 I patrick a sinner the most rustic and the least of all the faithful and in the estimation of many deemed contemptible had for my father oal cal burnius purn pur lus a deacon the son of Po titus a presbyter who belonged to the village lage of Bann aventa Dern lae for clos clo I 1 thereto he be had a small email villa when I 1 was made mado captive at that time I 1 was waa barely sixteen years of age I 1 knew not the true led god and I 1 was led to ireland in captivity with many thousand persons according to our deserts foi we turned away from god and kept not not his bis commandments and bewert we not obedient to the priests who used to io admonish us about our salvation I 1 s A owr 10 st qt kevins bouce Glan Glenda dalou lough 01 J sixth ft century flurr urr |