Page 40 - O Mahony Journal 2025

These items are numbered in bold font below for reference purposes.

The texts of the office chants usually feature aspects of the life of the saint concerned, their miracle stories,
and their personal qualities of sanctity and charitable works.

Miracles associated with St Brigit occur in some of Matins antiphons:

Antiphon 7: Vertens in cervisiam
‘Turning into ale the water of the well, she drove away the sickness and suffering of her nurse.’ [CD item 24]

Antiphon 8: Quidquid vidit oculo
‘Whatever her eye beheld or her hand touched, by a heavenly miracle knew rich increase.’ [CD item 25]

Antiphon 9: Christi bis sex apostolis
‘To Christ’s apostles twice six cows did she devoutly dedicate, and when all the vessels were filled, the
butter multiplied.’ [CD item 26]

The office of St Patrick opens with the following antiphon for 1 Vespers, Veneranda imminentis: which is
st
illustrated on the CD cover (also Fig. 1)

‘Worthy of veneration is the solemnity of the approaching day which with joyful hearts the throng of
the faithful celebrates, when the blessed bishop Patrick, his earthly body laid aside, joyfully departed to
the kingdom of heaven.’ [CD item 18]

And some of his miracle stories occur in the ensuing antiphons:

Altare lapideum

‘The precious altar-stone of the saint bore the leper across the deeps to the other
side of the sea.’ [CD item 19]

Signo crucis

‘At the sign of the cross, a fountain flows by Christ’s command;
through its waters Patrick enlightens a man born blind who was drawn to him.’
[CD item 20]

Aquam suis precibus

‘By his prayers he changed water into honey and so nourished and healed his sick nurse.’ [CD item 21]

Of Irish saints who remained in Ireland, only Ss Patrick and Brigit appear to have made any long-term
international liturgical impact on the Continent. St Brigit’s cult is far more prominent than that of St Patrick, in
spite of his promotion in Ireland and internationally in modern times. Of the many saints who founded houses
on the Continent (and mentioned in my Newsletter feature, p. 10) is St Fursa of Péronne in northern France
which became known ‘Peronna Scottorum’ (Péronne of the Irish) due to its popularity among Irish students

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