[Sam]

continued

He spent the year (433A.D.) preaching the Gospel, winning the sub-kings and nobles over to the Christian faith, and consequently the people. He constantly managed to escape from those who wanted to kill him, and gave demonstrations of the power God, with great miracles everywhere.

His prayers were powerful because his humility was great. He healed the sick, delivered the oppressed, and raised the dead

When Patrick came to Dublina (Dublin) which was then a small village, he prophesied how great that small village would someday become. He also caused a fountain to spring up there. It happened that in the region nearby, the young son of the king lay dead in his chamber. The sorrow over his death was compounded when it was learned that his sister, who had gone to bathe in the neighboring river, had drowned in midstream. Her body was finally found resting on the riverbed, and was laid out beside that of her brother. Tombs were prepared for both according to pagan custom.

At this sorrowful time the rumor spread that Patrick of Ardmachia (Armagh), who in the Name of the Unknown God had raised many that were dead, had arrived in the village. The king, Alphimus, promised that he, his nobles, and the whole "city" would be baptized into the new faith if his two children were restored. Patrick, seeing the opportunity for a great gain of souls, raised them both to life. By the physical resurrection of the prince and princess, the spiritual resurrection of the whole area from the darkness of paganism and idolatry was accomplished.

Many of the Celtic Saints, because of their close relationship to God, knew when they were going to die, and would make arrangement to go to the place which they felt was for their resurrection. In Patrick's case he felt that he should die in Armagh, a place he was deeply attached to. He started to make arrangements to get there, but the angel Victor forbade him saying, "It is not there that your resurrection is granted to you, go back to the place from which you came, namely Dichu's Barn. But God has granted that your name shall be known and your teaching shall be in Armagh, as if you were still alive in it." So it has been since that time.

Patrick returned to Saul, to Dichu's Barn, on Strangford Lough, where he had made his first celebration in Ireland. He gave thanks to God, received Holy Communion from Bishop Tassach and then gave up his spirit to God. The Tripartite Life sums up Patrick's life in the following words:

"Now after founding churches in plenty; after consecrating monasteries, after baptizing the people of Ireland; after great patience and labor; after destroying idols, and rebuking kings who did not do the will of God; after ordaining three hundred and seventy Bishops, and three thousand priests, ministers and laymen; after fasting and prayer; after mercy and clemency; after love of God and his neighbor, he gave up his spirit to God." It is said that for the twelve nights of his funeral rites, an angelic radiance was seen around his body

Before he died, on 17th march, 471 A.D., Patrick made this confession:

"If I ever accomplished anything good, for the sake of my God, Whom I love, I ask Him to grant that I can shed my blood with the strangers and captives for His Name's Sake. If I, Patrick the sinner, have done any small thing according to the will of God, I attribute it to the
gift of God alone. And this is my confession before I die." .