Ailbe was a predecessor of Patrick and may even have been a mentor for him. He was remembered, at any rate, for his own fruitful work of preaching and baptizing new believers, as we shall see. This excerpt from Patrick: A Devotional History is found on pages19 and 20. We begin with a quote from The Life of St. Ailbe:
“‘St. Ailbe indeed made a circuit of the whole of Ireland, preaching baptism; and he converted many there, but not all; for the Almighty God willed that the blessed bishop Patrick, who came to Ireland later than Ailbe, should convert all the Irish to the faith. And so it came to pass. For Bishop Patrick converted all Ireland from heathenism to the faith and brought all to baptism.’
“First, let’s acknowledge and address the hyperbole in this brief account of Ailbe’s influence on Patrick.
“Patrick did not convert ‘all the Irish to the faith.’ He did not claim as much for himself, and other lives of Irish saints from beyond the time of Patrick indicate there were still plenty of heathen knocking about the Emerald Isle. Neither did Patrick baptize all the Irish, since many remained unsaved throughout the period of the Celtic Revival.
“The mention here of Ailbe as an evangelist to all of Ireland may also be exaggerated. The Life of Ciaran of Saighir mentions Ailbe as one of the four who were ministering in Ireland before Patrick—the names of whom match up with what is reported in the Life of St. Declan—but says nothing about his ministry; instead, it associates him with one place only, Emly in the southeast of Ireland.
“It is quite possible that Patrick may have spent the early days of his mission in Emly under the tutelage of Ailbe. We do not know and can only speculate. But Emly is on the coast, just across from where Patrick would have departed in Britain, and Patrick may well have been made aware of the Emly community and their abbot while he was still a slave in the Wood of Foclut in the west.”
For reflection or discussion
1. We all need mentors in our lives. Who is mentoring and discipling you at this time?
2. At the same time, we’re all called to make disciples. Whom are you discipling at present?
We’re not just called to believe in Jesus. And we’re not just expected to find a church home. We’re called to be disciples and make disciples, and this solemn charge is appointed to all who believe in Jesus. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to discuss being and making disciples. Go to The Ailbe Bookstore and download the free PDF of Patrick: A Devotional History, and learn more about this great saint.
T. M. Moore
