Customer Reviews

The Confession of Saint Patrick and Letter to Coroticus

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This is a very short book (81 pages long, 111 if you include the prefaces and the frontispiece, big print, easily fitting in your jacket pocket) and includes Patrick's Lorica -- the hymn known as the Deer's Cry or Faeth Fiada as well as The Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus (basically a public pillory of Coroticus) and St. Patrick's Confession.

If you are interested in buying The Confession because you want a straight-forward account of St. Patrick's life, you should be warned that it will not serve that purpose. If that is what you're looking for, I recommend you buy a biography instead. Given that the literary conventions for autobiographies had yet to be established, this work is much like St. Augustine's Confessions but more laconic and oblique. Apparently, it was written in defense of his character, having been recently defamed by his ecclesiastical competitors in England. As such, I think it would be best approached as an example of St. Patrick's theology. The editor has been very helpful in this regard by noting in the text every instance St. Patrick is quoting from the Bible. I'd estimate, on that basis, that quotes from, allusions to, the Bible account for around 40% of the text. Thus, if you want to understand the work, you probably want to read it with a Bible near so you can follow the thread of St. Patrick's argument/allusion. However, as you might imagine, this adds substantially to the amount of time required to digest the book.

I found A Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus much more accessible, which makes sense given its intended audience - the faithful of Ireland. It comprises about a fifth of the book and was very interesting to me, at least, as an example of the power of ideas, how they can be used to bind together a community which can then be wielded as a tool, and why, in the competition between the old or pagan meme with the Christian one, the Christian meme more or less prevailed.

"Deer's Cry" is only a few pages long, and not more than nice to have. It clearly illustrates, however, the difficulties John Skinner (the translator) notes of translating these works, namely the loss of the chiastic structure and overall prosody. This is a problem of translation in general, but I would wager that these works are particularly difficult in that regard. I trust the translation is good, but I thought prospective buyers who, like me, are unfamiliar with St. Patrick and his times should be made aware of these difficulties.

With the above in mind, I would recommend this book as an interesting primary source for the thinking, life and times of St. Patrick which, in places, are both beautiful and disturbing.

This charming little book is a great guide for anyone who wants to know the man who is St. Patrick. In this work, O'Donohue doesn't discuss the legends that surround Patrick but translates Patrick's own writings and adds an insightful commentary. The author offers a new examination of Patrick as he suggests that Patrick's hard-to-decipher language is not the result of Patrick's lack of learning, as Patrick and many of his commentators claim, but the result of Patrick's own brilliant mind trying to bring the message of the Gospel to the Celts in their own language. This book will take you directly to the heart of a simple saint who's witness to Christ changed the fate of Ireland and, consequently, the fate of the world.

If you would love to get a picture of this great man,or you are Catholic like me,and want to learn a few of his writings.I say "read this book". His style is a little old fashon, but he was that. This is a good read ,and a short book check it out.

This is a book I have read a few times now. Each time, I find it stirs me greatly both in thought and the desire for action. I would say that its greatest strength is that if you read it with an open heart and mind, you cannot but help to be stirred by the writings of this simple man who became a great bishop. I find that as I read it I have an ever-increasing desire to have my actions live up to my theology; to see the example of Patrick and strive to live it. I love St. Patrick's Rune or Lorica - Breastplate prayer, though I prefer Madeleine L'Engles' version from her book A Swiftly Tilting Planet. I memorized it years ago and still pray it often, though not as often as I should.

St. Patrick's Rune

"All heaven with its power
and the sun with its brightness and,
and the snow with its whiteness,
and the fire with all the strength it hath-
and lightning with its rapid wrath
and the winds with their swiftness along their path.
And the sea with its deepness,
and the rocks with their steepness
and the earth with its starkness-
all these I place
by God Almighty's help and grace
between myself and
the powers of darkness!"

I have never memorized the longer version found in this book, but really should. This book always reminds me to strive - to strive to listen to God, to strive to follow God and to strive to learn to be better at being.

St. Patrick's Confession will prove a good read for Christians and non-believers alike. Any good man's regrets, or his handle on his faith, should give anyone of conscience, pause for personal reflection. No man,
save "the one", leaves this life "innocent of sin", and St. Patrick's
Confession should endear him to everyone.

Edited and translated by John Skinner, this version of THE CONFESSION OF ST. PATRICK includes not only St. Patrick's confession, but his letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus and the Faeth Fiada or "Deer's Cry" hymn that has become associated with St. Patrick. Contrary to what many people believe, THE CONFESSION OF ST. PATRICK is not an autobiography. There are some autobiographical elements contained within, but it's more of a long letter written towards the end of his life in defense of a personal attack made against him by those in a position of power and authority. The Confession is seeped in theology and scripture and the editor has been very helpful in noting the particular passage from the Bible that Patrick uses. Even in modern times, Patrick's intelligence and education have come under attack. Reading his Confession it becomes quite clear that no matter what else you might say about St. Patrick's intelligence or authority, he was definitely a person rooted in the Bible.

"A Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus" is a written attack against the British soldier Coroticus who raided some villages in Ireland, killing many people and taking others as slaves. The people Coroticus attacked, killed, and kidnapped were members of Patrick's flock. The letter illustrates how deeply Patrick cared for the people he was shepherding and how personal he took the raid. It's a very vivid and emotional piece of writing.

"Deer's Cry" is not a hymn that St. Patrick wrote, but it has become closely associated with him. It's only a few pages long and gives another glimpse into the character of Patrick.

The prologue by John O'Donohue and the introductory essays by editor and translator John Skinner provide valuable information in understanding the texts and the man who wrote them. Recommended for anyone who has a serious interest in St. Patrick, though those looking for a true autobiography would be better off reading a biography about the man first and then coming to THE CONFESSION OF ST. PATRICK.

Containing the only two letters of Patrick to survive (at least in whole). Patrick's letters are certainly not dispassionate surveying of situations and observations but are filled with emotion.

I have a problem with the material around the translation. While the introduction was somewhat informative I felt like the writer was being way too indulgent in simply being rhetorical, I did not appreciate such talk. Also in the Confessions there is invasive commentary given, I say invasive because it is not clearly marked as different from the translated text of the Confessions.

I would still recommend this book though if you can find another edition of these two works (as well as the Irish hymn included) maybe you should consider that one.

A personal note.
Its a shame that Patrick is remembered primarily on a day of drunken stupor and revelry, one can imagine had he been on earth today the fire he would have wrought from his pen at the disgraces often done on Saint Patrick's Day.

Informing oneself about Saint Patrick could give you better subjects to speak of on Saint Patrick's Day than which pub to go to and what beer to drink.

The Confession of Saint Patrick and Letter to CoroticusGreat read and great companion book for J.B. Bury/Sweeney book.

St Patrick has been given a bad deal...on one hand he is one of the most popular saints in the history of the Catholic church but sadly he is surrounded with mostly myths and legends. No snakes were driven out of Ireland but a more important demon was: paganism. This small book contains the only two documents left composed by Patrick ,a semi-biographical account of his life and works and a letter he wrote to other bishops condemning the enslaving of the Irish at the hands of the pagans.

One would be surprised to find that St Patrick,the great missionary and supporter of the trinity was British,a former slave, relatively uneducated,basically a agnostic up until his capture at 16 and surrounded by so much controversy over his past life that he was seriously under threat of being removed from his post by the Church.

A great read and invaluable to understanding the real saint Patrick and early Christian Ireland.

If you want to know more about St. Patrick than shamrocks, leprechauns, and green beer, then this is for you. Learn about the man from his own words.