The Confession of Saint Patrick

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! For some that means green beer, pins with the message "kiss me, I'm Irish," jigs, happy Celtic music, and the wearin' o' the green. And what do you think of when you think of Saint Patrick? Ireland, without a doubt. He gets credit for chasing the snakes out of the Emerald Isle, but it is unlikely that snakes ever lived there. Some people know about the story of him using the shamrock to explain the Trinity, but not much more.

Most of what we know about Patrick comes from second or third-hand reports and legends that grew up over the years, but there are two important writings that are directly attributed to him. One is "A Letter to Coroticus," addressing the soldiers under this man who raided some of Patrick's converts, a scathing complaint lodged against such raids. The other is "The Confession of Patrick," an autobiography that he wrote in Latin near the time of his death. Most of what we actually know about Patrick comes from his confession. What is remarkable is his humility, devotion, love for God, desire to serve God and the Irish people. To commemorate this day of Saint Patrick, I feel like the best words are those of the man himself; well, a translation from Latin to English thanks to Ludwig Bieler. The following is just a small portion from the beginning, but hopefully it will inspire you as you read it. I chose it not so much for the historical content, but for insight into the beliefs and faith of a true servant of God.

...I was then about sixteen years of age. I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity to Ireland with many thousands of people---and deservedly so, because we turned away from God, and did not keep His commandments, and did not obey our priests, who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought over us the wrath of his anger and scattered us among many nations, even unto the utmost part of the earth, where now my littleness is placed among strangers.



And there the Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might at last remember my sins and be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my abjection, and mercy on my youth and ignorance, and watched over me before I knew Him, and before I was able to distinguish between good and evil, and guarded me, and comforted me as would a father his son.


Hence I cannot be silent---nor, indeed, is it expedient---about the great benefits and the great grace which the lord has deigned to bestow upon me in the land of my captivity; for this we can give to God in return after having been chastened by Him, to exalt and praise His wonders before every nation that is anywhere under the heaven.


Because 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.


For He Himself has said through the Prophet: Call upon me in the day of thy trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. And again He says: It is honourable to reveal and confess the works of God.

{I invite you to read the whole translation at Episcopalnet or at Celtic Twilight, which contains both the Bieler translation and an older one (1905) by Rev. Dr. White of the Royal Irish Academy.}

Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland

It was a long wait for me before I could buy and read Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland. It was published in the UK a year before the United States release, and I saw a copy back in 2008 when I first met the author, Cindy Thomson. Finally, I was able to sit down to really enjoy this precious gem this past week. Well, the wait was long, but I feel like it was worth it.

Celtic Wisdom  wasn't exactly what I expected. For some reason I had it in my mind that this was a collection of quotes and sayings. There are many quotes, sayings, and traditional blessings scattered throughout the book, but those are just a small portion of it. And they are an important part, as are the wonderful photographs of Ireland that appear on nearly every other page. More properly, though, this is a brief history of Early Christianity in Ireland, a history that I was far more ignorant about than I realized. It begins with the three most important figures in Irish Christianity: Patrick, Brigid, and Columcille (also known as Columba). I thought I knew a fair amount about Patrick, but I was astounded at how much more is actually known about him. Brigid and Columcille were only names to me up until now, and it's a little embarrassing that someone who proudly tells people she has Irish ancestors would know so little about these heroes of Irish faith. After covering the top three, Cindy introduces us to several other people who were notable in the early Irish church. She also gives great insight to the culture of the time, a culture which seemed to be ready to accept true Christianity at a time when the Roman world was being overrun by pagan ideas  in that wave that plunged Europe into the Dark Ages.

What did I learn from this brief, 95 page package stuffed full of treasures? Plenty. I didn't realize the role Ireland played in preserving scripture and true Christianity during the Dark Ages; it was further isolated from the rest of Europe, even England, than I had considered. I learned that the monastic life in Ireland was a far cry from anywhere else, and that the Roman rules didn't apply. Did you know that there were married priests in Ireland? And women clergy? Neither did I. Many of us knew that Patrick was a missionary from England, but maybe others are as ignorant as I was of how Ireland then returned the favor, sending out missionaries to other countries to  re-introduce the fundamentals and truths of the Bible. Patrick's Confession  was a far larger and more important document than I knew before, and after reading the translated excerpts in Celtic Wisdom, I am determined to seek a translated copy of the whole thing. The whole culture of the early Irish Christians appears to be much closer to the New Testament church than I ever imagined. It was reassuring to know, yet it left a feeling of sadness as I wondered at the changes over time. But this can be said of the state of the church everywhere today.

Celtic Wisdom  is a rather scholarly work, complete with bibliography (as it should be). Since much of what is known of that time is based on oral tradition and legends, those are included. Often Cindy Thomson recounts  traditional stories and legends without any comment as to their veracity, leaving it to the reader to decide what to accept and what to take with a grain of salt. On occasion she offers plausible alternatives, as in the true origin of the legend that Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. She also provides insight into the shamrock legend and the importance of Three in Old Ireland (I noted to myself that three has great significance throughout the Bible as well). Some of the legends I found amusing, but all of them lead to a better understanding to that early group of Christians.

I wish my printer was working so I could give you an idea of the pictures that grace this book. The publisher or editor chose them, not Cindy, but they do add significantly to the value (and, I suppose, to the price). For some reason, the publisher didn't write any information directly under the photos, so you have to look in the back of he book if you want to know what you're looking at. A minor flaw, and one that has no bearing on Mrs. Thomson's marvelous work.

Make Celtic Wisdom a part of your library, but leave it on the coffee table for others to pick up and enjoy as well. Only 95 pages--small, but that actually makes it more accessible for those of us who are always too hurried to sit down to a longer scholarly work. Well researched and enlightening, Celtic Wisdom  is a real treasure.

You can learn more about Cindy Thomson and her writings at her website, Cindy's Writing and her blog, Celtic Voices. She also has a page on Shoutlife and Facebook.

Celtic Wisdom should be available through most bookstores, Christian emphasis or otherwise. Online, you may order it through Christianbook (best price I found at $7.99), Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland by Cindy Thomson

Publisher: Lion Hudson (www.lionhudson.com) (2008 UK printing; Sept., 2009 USA)

ISBN-10: 0745953255

ISBN-13: 978-0745953250

This review was completely unsolicited with no compensation given to me. I actually bought the book myself!

Interview with Darryl Sloan and BOOK GIVEAWAY

This week the CFRB is touring Chion by Irish author Darryl Sloan. Darryl was kind enough to answer some questions for me, giving me a terrific interview with a lot more insight about his writing.

Cathi: As an American, I am interested in your home area. Actually, my own heritage is
largely Irish, but it goes back many generaions. Could you tell us a little bit
about where you live?

Darryl: I live in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.
Technically that makes me British, but I prefer to call myself Irish,
by virtue of the name of the island on which I live if nothing else.
I live in town called Portadown, in the Protestant community (by
virtue of nothing more than it's where I was born). As to what the
town looks like, well, I can get on my bicycle and within fifteen
minutes I can be riding through anything from peaceful, idyllic
countryside to desolate, ruined housing estates, although to be fair,
not much of the latter. Overall, I like it here a lot.

C: The main thing most of us know about Northern Ireland is the violence and
enmity between Protestants and Catholics. Was there much evidence of this
where you grew up? Has it had an effect on you?

D: The best word to describe it is tribalism. And tribalism over what I'm
not sure. You could call it a religious war, but very few of those
throwing petrol bombs on our side of the fence would go to church or
profess to be religious in any way. It's more a war over land, dating
right back to the British invasion. But I personally think the
violence kept going because of the way that opinionated parents
indoctrinated their children, and how school-friends got together into
cliques. I escaped both traps because I had level-headed parents and
because I was a geek at school - which is one of the best things a kid
can be. Being a geek makes you an outcast with popular people, and
when you're an outcast, peer pressure doesn't work, and you are able
to discover and nurture your individuality. So, no, the Troubles never
affected me. I always knew it was the biggest load of nonsense, right
from when I was a kid. Thankfully, things are much calmer these days.

C: We're touring your second book, Chion, but your first book was also about
the same junior high school. What was that novel about? Does it connect to
Chion in any way?

D: The first book, Ulterior, is set two years before the events of Chion,
in the same locale. It's the story of a boy who breaks into his school
at night and discovers sinister goings-on, involving an elevator that
travels deep into the earth. When you read both books, there is a
connection, because you find some of the same characters turning up in
each. But both books are independent. I am, however developing a third
novel, which may allow the whole thing to come together as a sort of
trilogy. But I urge readers to have no fear about jumping straight in
with Chion. It's meant to stand alone.

C: One review I read said that you were a teacher at Clounagh Junior High
School. In your biography I read that you were hired as an ICT technician.
Did your job include teaching the kids or did you just kind of gravitate
that way? What about the film clubs?

D: Ah, that's just the innaccuracy of interviewers. Technically, I'm a
humble ICT technician, although I do occasionally find myself in the
position of teaching kids, which I greatly enjoy. Some teachers find
the transition to the computer age a bit of a rocky road, and that's
where I come in.

One of the best things about the job was that the school recognised by
interest in filmmaking and encouraged me to get a Film Club rolling.
We've been running it for five years now, and we've made some
wonderful, outrageous little movies. Anything from a panther prowling
the corridors to zombies staggering along. Several are available to
watch online: http://www.youtube.com/darrylsloan

C: I can't help but wonder what the kids and staff at Clounagh Junior High thought about having two novels set there. What kind of reactions did you get from them?

D: I remember the day I walked into the Head's office and set a big
manuscript on his desk and said, "You might think I've gone made here,
but I want to show you something ..."

I've had some great feedback from the staff and kids. One of the big
surprises is how many girls like my stuff, because I'm writing what
you would normally think of as boys' adventures. But that's great.
Every September, when a new bunch of 200 kids shows up, I hijack one
of their English periods and talk to them about Chion. Usually, about
one out of every five kids bites, and it allows me to sell copies to
raise money for a Bulgarian orphanage that the school supports each
year through various fund-raising events. It's not as altruistic as it
sounds. I can't very well bring a profit-making enterprise into my
place of employment. :-)

C: From your website I see that you have a lot of interests in the arts: film
making, writing, an composing music. I think video games as well, am I
correct?

D: Yeah, I seem to be overly creative. Always have been. Drawing and
painting, too, in the old days.

C: What would you say is your main interest, or do you have one?

D: Of necessity, I've had to specialise, or I would never become really
good at any one thing. So writing is what comes tops. I'm still
heavily involved in filmmaking, but it's not quite as important to me
as writing. I miss making music, though. It's been a few years since I
sat down at the keyboard and composed.

C: What are you working on right now?

D: I'm developing the Chion follow-up, but that's purely mental work, and
it might be years before it meshes together properly. I'm also about
to commence making a new film with my friend Andrew Harrison. Together
we are Midnight Pictures, and we've been making movies since the early
nineties. It's a horror movie, that's about all I can tell you at the
moment. We do this kind of thing for fun, with no commercial intent,
but there's potential there.

C: Now to the novel, Chion. Was there anything in particular that 'inspired '
you to write it?

D: The story took years to develop in my mind. Then it just sort of sat
around in there. I finally started writing it a couple of weeks after
my mother died of cancer. I'm not sure whether that was significant or
not, but it may not be an accident that Chion is all about a boy who
lives with the reality of a terminal illness. I didn't write that
aspect in, because of my mother; it was already there in the story,
long-term.

But I may have wanted to write it because I had been through what I
had been through, watching my mother die. I don't know for sure. What
I do know is that I have very little motivation to write when it's for
nothing more than entertainment. And Chion had that something extra.

C: What does the title mean?

D: It was hard to find the right title for the novel. It was originally
to be called "The White Cage," but I'm glad I found a better title.
"Chion" is a derivative of the ancient Greek word "chiono" which means
snow. Drop the "o" and it means "like snow." There is some debate
about the correct pronunciation, but I go with kai-on.

C: Could you tell us in your own words a little synopsis of what Chion is
about?

D: Well, imagine you are out driving your car in the middle of winter.
Suddenly you see spots of snow landing on the windshield. Suddenly the
wipers stop, mid-swipe. Suddenly all four of your tyres burst and your
car jerks to a sudden halt. You sit there for a moment, stunned. You
can hear popping all around you. The same thing is happening to other
cars. You open the door and put one foot out onto the snow-speckled
road. Suddenly you find you can't lift your foot, so you slip your
foot out of your shoe and place it back in the car. Your shoe appears
to be glued to the ground. The car is glued to the ground, too. And
the wipers are glued to the windshield. Horrifyingly, there's a
pedestrian nearby who is struggling to remove his fingers from the
spot where he touched his chest. In his struggle he falls to his knees
and can't get up. The snow continues to fall. Eventually, he falls to
the ground completely, and screams and screams until the snow smothers
him. Whatever has falled from the sky is not snow. It's something no
one has ever seen before. And worst of all, it won't melt.

That's not a direct scene from the novel, but one of many possible
scenarios. I invite the reader to contemplate the implications of a
disaster like this, and how people might try to survive it. Especially
ask yourself if rescue is possible.

C: Without giving away any spoilers, what would you like the readers to take
away from Chion?

D: We can spend our lives ignoring the harsh reality that we are going to
die. Chion is about having the inevitability of death brought into
sharp focus, where the characters are forced to contemplate not only
the fact that they will die, but that they will die soon. It's a story
about how different people react differently, and ultimately it's
about finding meaning in a life that's mortal.

C: Thanks so much for chatting with me, Darryl.

D: Thanks for your questions, Cathy.


You can find more information about Darryl and his books, plus some very interesting blogs, at Darryl's website http://www.darrylsloan.com/.

Please visit the other CFRB blogs this week. Grace Bridges has an taped interview on hers, from a meeting with Darryl a few days ago. It's cool to hear the two of them talking. Just click on the buttons below to go to the different sites.

Other members who put up information, but not original reviews:

Rebecca Wire (Welcome to RebeccaWire.com) http://rebeccawire.com/cfrb-book-tour
Karina Fabian (Virtual Book Tour de 'Net) http://virtualbooktourdenet.blogspot.com/
Geralyn Beauchamp (The Time Mistress) http://thetimemistress.blogspot.com/
Rae Byuel (our newest member at CFRB) http://c-romance.blogspot.com/

OH!! And one more thing . . . have I mentioned that Darryl will be choosing one name to win a free copy of his novel? This one's coming all the way from Ireland, so I think it should be open for other countries besides the U.S. this time. Of course, that means you'll have to leave a comment on at least one of the blogs to get in the drawing.

The Man Behind the Legend: Patrick of Ireland

St. Patrick's Day was originally a special day to honor a man through whom the Lord did an incredible work. Around the year 390, Patrick was born into a Christian family in Britain. At age 16, his village was raided by the Celts and he was captured and taken to Ireland where he was sold as a slave to one of the tribal chiefs. He eventually escaped from his captors and returned to Britain. Years later, Patrick had a dream in which he saw Irish children begging him to bring the gospel to them. He took this as a sign of God's calling, and, in 432, he returned as an ambassador of Christ to the very land from which he had once escaped.

Little is known about what happened next, but, just a few years later, most of Ireland had converted to Christianity. Close to 300 churches were established and roughly 120,000 people had been baptized as Christians. This work had an ongoing impact as Ireland became the major center for the translation and preservation of Scripture. There's no telling how many souls were eternally affected as a result of the work that God did through Patrick. Consequently, the church in Ireland decided to set aside the day of his birth, March 17, by tradition, in honor of his service for the kingdom.

Today in the United States, it has disintegrated into an excuse for drinking green beer and a lot of silliness. The leprechauns and all the "wearin' o' the green" is not problem, but it is sad to see the true testimony of Patrick, such as we know of it, lost even among Christians. Little is much in the hands of God. One slave boy was used to reach a nation for Jesus. What could He do with you or me if we let Him have complete control?