Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

For the feast of St. Patrick, enjoy this excerpt from The Confession of St. Patrick:

…I was taken captive when a youth, nay, rather, when almost a beardless boy, before I knew what I ought to seek or to avoid. Wherefore, at this day I am greatly ashamed and afraid to expose my unskillfulness because I am unable to explain myself with clearness and brevity of speech, as the Spirit greatly desires, and all the feelings of my mind suggest. But if I had been gifted like others, I would not have been silent, inasmuch as a recompense was due from me. Perhaps there are some who think that in this I put myself forward, although I am ignorant and slow of speech, but it is written, ‘The tongue of stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly’ (Is. 32:4), and how much more ought we to attempt ‘who (says he) are the epistle of Christ (who was set for salvation unto the ends of the earth’ Acts 13:47) written in your hearts, if not eloquently, yet powerfully and enduringly, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God’ (2 Cor 3:3).

See the Verbum monthly sale for savings on two St. Patrick collections through the end of March!