Happy St Patrick's Day

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Bachuil
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Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:56 am

Happy St Patrick's Day

Post by Bachuil »

On St Patrick's day I thought you might be interested in the story of the Bachuil Jesu or the Staff of Jesus. HOW ST. PATRICK RECEIVED THE STAFF OF JESUS From Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts by Patrick Kennedy When our saint was returning from Rome to France in his way to Ireland he stopped at a religious house in an isle in the Gulf of Genoa, and was entertained for a night by the inmates, whose self-imposed duty was the care of wrecked sailors. He revealed his name and mission, and observed that about half the community were young and fresh-looking, and the rest very aged and infirm. One of the younger brothers surprised him not a little by mentioning that the very old members were their children. "It is," said he, "about a century since I and my companions agreed to live here in community, labour with our hands, and spend a certain time of the day in reciting holy offices. We were all widowers, and children remained to some of us. These are they (pointing to the aged men). One night, it was our good fortune to entertain a stranger pilgrim of a sweet and majestic countenance, and when he was about to quit us in the morning he spoke these words, handing to our superior the staff which he had in his hands:--'In requital for your loving hospitality, I leave you this staff. During its stay with you years shall have no effect on your strength nor appearance. Retain it till my servant Patrick rests here on his way to Erinn for the conversion of its people, and give it into his hands when he quits you.' We all listened with awe, and when the last word was spoken the majestic form was no longer there. Our children entered the community as they grew up, but, the blessing not having been addressed to them, years have had their natural effect. When you depart, bearing the sacred staff with you, we expect our release from fleshly bonds." This or some other staff attended the saint in his many weary journeys through the length and breadth of Erinn; and when he died it was preserved in his cathedral at Armagh. At a later date it was transferred to Christ-church Cathedral in Dublin. The staff of Jesus was publicly burned in Dublin in 1538 during the reign of king Henry VIII of England.
The Baron of Bachuil,
Coarb of St Moluag
Chief of MacLea
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vkadams
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Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:07 pm

Happy St Patrick's Day

Post by vkadams »

Thank you for sharing that story...And a Happy St. Patrick's Day to one and all...
Kyle2 MacLea

Happy St Patrick's Day

Post by Kyle2 MacLea »

Very interesting story about that OTHER Staff! Happy St Patrick's Day, all! Kyle=
Canadian Livingstone
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Happy St Patrick's Day

Post by Canadian Livingstone »

Hello Baron, Happy St. Patrick's Day to you and yours. Such were the fires of intolerance during the reformation that many early Christian relics were burned and the library at Iona destroyed. One can only imagine what ancient book treasures were in the possession of clerics on the Island of Iona in the 1500's before they were put to the torch.
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