Monday, March 15, 2004

St. Patrick of Ireland

In honor of that great Saint of old, I will be quoting from St. Patrick over the next several days.

The complete text of St. Patrick's confession is located here. There's a different translation here (but how can you trust someone who doesn't put it on a green web page?)

I was struck this morning by how similar the following passage is to the Nicene Creed (at least the first part - the part adopted at the Council of Nicea).


From The Confession of St. Patrick of Ireland

For there is no other God, nor ever was before, nor shall be hereafter, but God the Father, unbegotten and without beginning, in whom all things began, whose are all things, as we have been taught; and his son Jesus Christ, who manifestly always existed with the Father, before the beginning of time in the spirit with the Father, indescribably begotten before all things, and all things visible and invisible were made by him. He was made man, conquered death and was received into Heaven, to the Father who gave him all power over every name in Heaven and on Earth and in Hell, so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and God, in whom we believe. And we look to his imminent coming again, the judge of the living and the dead, who will render to each according to his deeds. And he poured out his Holy Spirit on us in abundance, the gift and pledge of immortality, which makes the believers and the obedient into sons of God and co-heirs of Christ who is revealed, and we worship one God in the Trinity of holy name.


Regards,
Basil

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