Fr Paul reads from Luke’s Gospel (5: 1-11) where Jesus was standing on the Lake of Gennesaret, and helped Simon, one of the fisherman, catch a large amount of fish.

St Patrick, who we celebrate his solemnity today, Fr Paul says, was born in Roman Britain in the middle of the 4th century, and died in Ireland in the middle of the 5th century. As a missionary Bishop, he endured many hardships and faced opposition, even from his friends and fellow Christians. Patrick is remembered for his simplicity and pastoral care, for his humble trust in God, and his fearless preaching of the Gospel.

Fr Paul finishes today’s Gospel reading with a reflection from St Patrick.

‘Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arrive,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me.
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today through almighty strength the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the threeness, through confession of the oneness of the creator of creation. Amen’.