Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th April

St Patrick hears the voice of the Irish

Monument to St. Patrick, Westport

I thought I heard in my mind the voice of those who were beside the wood of Foclut, near the western sea, calling out "We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us”. This touched my heart deeply."  

"Rogamus te, sancte puer, ut venias et adhuc ambulas inter nos." (From St Patrick's Confession. Note 'Rogamus te' abbreviated to RGMS TE on monument panel)

Hearing this call was a turning point in the life-story of St Patrick as told in his Confession. Born in Britain, he had been taken captive by some Irishmen and brought to Ireland. Later he escaped back to Britain where he went for the priesthood and was eventually consecrated bishop (read his biography  here). It was at this stage that visitors from Ireland came with a letter for him. In reading it, Bishop Patrick was moved by the appeal that it contained to come back again -- of his own free will and for a much friendlier welcome this time. The Westport scene depicts his landing in Ireland.

The Confession is contained in the Book of Armagh and is dated to the early 9th century. Like the Book of Kells, this Book has happily been digitized by Trinity College Dublin, allowing us to see the original text (here). Our extract is found on Folio 23v, c. three-quarters way down the second column -- in the reproduction below, lines 6-7. (The last line ends with amplius non potui legere, i.e. my heart was so touched that I could not read any more.) As can be seen, the superb ornamentation of the Gospels in the Book of Kells far outshines the more ordinary script found in the Book of Armagh.  

TCD Book of Armagh, Folio 23v

As for the google digital script used here in the 21st century, the writer sees he is returning to a topic first dealt with ten years ago in 2016 (here), this time with a precious view of the original manuscript. 

May our lives continue to unfold fruitfully for us all, especially when, like St Patrick, at a certain moment in our life's journey, we feel we hear a silent call to start down a road that seems to be opening up for us -- in the traditional phrase, 'our vocation'. 

Year A (Matthew), Gospel for 2nd Sunday of Lent

The gospel for this Sunday is from Matthew 17, which tells the story of the Transfiguration. To tie in with the putting up of a link to the Book of Kells in our Readings section (left side-bar), we're showing the first four verses of this gospel as they are found in this national and religious treasure from the 8th century (see top right of page, 'Math.XVII'). The original manuscript is held in TCD and there also now exists a splendid and much more accessible edition online -- there at our fingertips (p. or Folio 79) with no more long waiting in queues!  A wonder, isn't it?  A transcription of the original Latin as well as an English translation can be found here. (The 'original Latin' referred to here is that of the Vulgate, i.e. the translation by St Jerome in the fourth century of the truly original version written in Greek in the first century.)

The Book of Kells, of course, is famous for its amazingly elaborate illustrations, none of which appear on the page featured here. Explore them for yourself now!

PS (i.e. [= id est], 'Post Scriptum' -- everyday Latin!)  There are some small differences between the Kells edition and the transcribed edition: (1) adsumpsit :: assumit (l. 2), duxit illos :: ducit illos (l. 4), past tense in first, present in second; (2) apparuit :: apparuerunt, singular in first, plural in second. 

More puzzling is the following: 'his clothing became white as snow' (l. 8). 'White' is 'alfa' in Kells, and 'alba' in the transcription.  Q. Now is that really an 'f' we see in 'alfa'?  A. It's the same letter as in 'facies' ('face', l. 8), is it not?  Q.  Well, show us you, then, what it should be.  A. Ok. Compare, 'bonum est' ('it is good'), in l. 11. This shows us, does it not, what a 'b' is?   Q. Where does all this leave us, then?  A. Not too sure, really. Anyway, for the poor monk's sake that put so much effort into his writing, with all its marvellous art and penmanship, we'll just whisper sub secreto, ' A possible lapsus calami?', and keep it to ourselves.