St. Patrick Writes About Himself

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I thought I would take a look at some of the fifth-century Latin written by this remarkable individual and patron saint of Ireland. Take a look at the very useful website St. Patrick's Confessio, which allows one to "[r]ead what St. Patrick actually wrote in his own words."

Epistola ad milites Corotici, X

Numquid sine Deo vel secundum carnem Hiberione veni? Quis me compulit? Alligatus sum Spiritu ut non videam aliquem de cognatione mea. Numquid a me piam misericordiam quod ago erga gentem illam qui me aliquando ceperunt et devastaverunt servos et ancillas domus patris mei? Ingenuus fui secundum carnem; decorione patre nascor. Vendidi enim nobilitatem meam -- non erubesco neque me paenitet -- pro utilitate aliorum; denique servus sum in Christo genti exterae ob gloriam ineffabilem perennis vitae quae est in Christo Iesu Domino nostro.

Here is the source of the text; the translation below is my own.

A letter to the soldiers of Coroticus (10)

Is it possible that I came to Ireland without God, even following my own flesh? Who compelled me? I have been so bound by the Spirit that I do not see anyone of my own family. Is it possible that I grant holy mercy from myself towards that people who once captured me and killed the enslaved men and women of my father's house? I was a free-born according to the flesh; I was born from my father, a decurion. Indeed I sold my noble status for the service of others -- I am not ashamed of this and I do not regret it; accordingly I am a servant in Christ for people of a foreign land on account of the indescribable glory of everlasting life which is in Jesus Christ, our Lord.