An Teaghlach Naofa
       
 

The Lamb will Conquer

This week, people across Ireland and the world will celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Almost every city in the world has an Irish pub, the drink will be flowing and there will be plenty of craic and ceol and great celebrations of our Irish culture. Many people will go to mass for the feast of St Patrick’s Day, wearing their shamrock, and pray to our patron saint for his most powerful intercession for Ireland? But how many will not bother going to mass and just take part in the festivities? How many will reflect on the faith of their fathers? How many will stop to ponder the battle that is raging for the very soul of our country? Are they even aware of it? How many bidding prayers at our masses on St Patrick’s Day will include intercessory prayers to defeat abortion, overturn the same sex marriage referendum and that every child will continue to have a right to a father and a mother? How many St Patrick’s Day parades, here and abroad, will welcome pagan floats, pro-abortion and gay pride groups that mock the faith he fought so hard to bring to our land? Will Irish politicians travel to Washington for the usual display of the shamrock and their wearing of the green in The White House? What would St Patrick say to these so called men of Ireland who claim to represent us, but are robbing our country of its most priceless treasure, the catholic faith?

St Patrick
Photo - St Patrick’s Church, Rome

In the time of St Patrick there was a tyrant, Coroticus, who persecuted Ireland, stole away Christian converts as slaves and worked to undermine his evangelical mission. In an open letter to Coroticus and his followers, St Patrick wrote “I Patrick, an unlearned sinner who dwells in Ireland, profess that I am a Bishop. I am sure it is God who made me what I am. God himself is my witness. I do not wish to say such hard and severe things but I am compelled to speak by the zeal of God and I am urged by the truth of Christ”. Ireland needs people now, compelled to speak against the evil tide of secularism coming against us. Last week the Bishop of Elphin spoke out in truth and was lacerated for it. We need priests who are not afraid to challenge the work of the devil in our country and who will encourage their flock to pray against. These evils need to be crushed and only Our Lady can do it. Recently, the President of the Universal Society of Hinduism called on the Bishop of Derry to discipline a priest for speaking out against yoga. How arrogant, the priest was quite correct, yoga is a Hindu practice. Any parish that allows it in their parish halls or schools is encouraging people to break the first commandment. Where are the notices in every church bulletin, warning catholics not to engage in yoga or other new age practices? If St Patrick, was here, there would be no yoga, it would be out with all the rest of the snakes.

Coroticus and his soldiers were fellow countrymen of St Patrick, who raided and plundered Ireland and in doing so were supported by members of the British Church, including some of the clergy. Of them, St Patrick said “Because of their evil deeds I am unable to call them my country men, or fellow citizens of the holy Romans, for they are fellow citizens of the demons”. Quoting from scripture he said “O Lord, wicked men have destroyed your law”, this law which in recent times has been lovingly planted by God in Ireland, where God instructed men in His loving kindness”. In the South, the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, is a thief in the night, plundering our land, trampling on the people of Ireland by forcing their anti-Christ policies on us, actively supported by a biased mainstream media. In the North, the Deputy First Minister recently stated, with full media coverage, that “abortion and Catholicism can mix”. For a person in a position of leadership to speak such a blatant untruth, with the potential to corrupt society, is a disgrace. Sadly, we have people serving in ministerial positions who are not fit to govern let alone speak on matters of moral law. Indeed, they are putting Ireland at huge risk of grave moral decline. Meanwhile the President of Sinn Feinopenly admits to hugging trees. Hugging trees yet pushing for the murder of unborn babies? Sounds like Druidism to me.

In his letter to Coroticus, St Patrick continues with a warning to Christians “I beg you holy and humble of heart, that you not flatter these men. Nor is it permissible to eat and drink with them or accept alms from them”. Quoting again from scripture St Patrick warns “it is not only the evildoers who will be damned but those who support them”. Of Coroticus, he says “He is very far from the love of God who betrays Christians into the hands of the pagans. Ravenous wolves have gobbled up the Lord’s flock, which was being well cared for in Ireland and was growing”.

At the end of his open letter, St Patrick says, “It is my most earnest desire that everyone who serves God may promptly receive this letter. It should be read aloud and with strength before all peoples, even where Coroticus himself is present. In this way, if God inspires someone to turn back to God, he may even at this late stage repent of his most heinous crime”. Ireland needs such a letter, every catholic home in the country should be told plain and straight, that as baptised catholics, no member of the family may support abortion or vote in favour same sex marriage, for to do so they are reject Christ and their very souls will be at stake. Every Bishop of every Diocese needs to say, like St Patrick, first Bishop of Ireland, “I am compelled to speak by the zeal of God and I am urged by the truth of Christ”. Thank God for the Bishop of Cloyne who has asked every family to pray the rosary at home.

“Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it (Mt 7:13). When St. John Paul visited Ireland he told us our country was at a crossroads and we must choose the right road. Those whom people of Ireland have elected to govern North and South, and every catholic who supports their anti-Christ policies, are leading others along the broad road. To those who have steered people onto the broad road, or done nothing to shepherd them away from it, may God have mercy have their souls. St Patrick makes no bones about it, unless they repent, they “will perish before the face of the Lord”.

How can we as practising catholics, counteract the apostasy that is sweeping Ireland? How can we educate people who live for the here and now, as if God does not exist, to think on eternal life? We need to return the zeal of the catholic faith to the shores of our beloved nation. Each of us needs to do our very best to ensure that the rich faith that our ancestors strived to protect will once again flourish in Ireland. We need to pledge our loyalty to Christ and pray and fast for Ireland. Every family needs to return to praying the rosary, reading scripture and the cathechism. We need to intercede for all those who are rebelling against God and we need to actively engage in a new evangelisation. We need to really lift our prayer and fasting now in the months ahead and pray fervently for Ireland. And most of all we need to unite and give more public witness of our catholic faith.

On St Patrick’s Day, on the Hill of Slane, the Bishop of Meath, lead the people from across Ireland in prayer and celebrated Holy Mass on the very place where St Patrick defeated druidism. God bless him for his leadership. Is this the turning point we have been waiting for? Another 54 day rosary novena started on the feast of St Patrick’s Day to defeat same sex marriage. Across the country, there are great signs of hope, lots of “green shoots” and in every county, ordinary people are doing extraordinary things for the faith. “May the light of Christ, “May the light of Christ,the light of faith, continue always to shine out from Ireland. May no darkness ever be able to extinguish it”.

Our Lady of Knock, appeared at a time of great hardship bringing comfort and hope to the people of Ireland. We need to pray to Our Lady St Joseph , to enfold our country in their care and that every Irish family will take the Holy Family as their model. To those of you with family abroad, ask them to pray the rosary for Ireland. Ask every priest you know, at home and abroad, to offer a mass for Ireland. And go out with the missionary zeal of St Patrick, and actively engage in the re-evangelisation of Ireland and encourage people back to the faith. Our Lady Queen of Ireland pray for us, St Joseph pray for us, St Patrick and all the Irish saints pray for us. And with the help of God, Our Lady, and the intercession of St Joseph, St Patrick and all the saints, the Lamb will conquer.

Join us in a vigil for Ireland on Saturday 28th March from 7 p.m. to midnight. The vigil will include blessings with the relic of the Holy Cross and a first class relic of St John Paul 2. Please bring a copy of your bible with you to the vigil. For a copy of the flyer, or to get a special rate for overnight accommodation, email us at orlaith@anteaghlachnaofa.ie

 
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