_Prayer of St. Aireran the Wise, ob._. 664.
[In the first number of the RECORD we published from the
manuscripts of the late Professor O’Curry the Prayer of St. Colga
of Clonmacnoise. We now publish another beautiful devotional piece
from the same collection.
Speaking of ancient Irish religious works now remaining, O’Curry
says (at page 378 of his great work): “The fifth class of these
religious remains consists of the prayers, invocations, and
litanies, which have came down to us”. The Prayer of St. Colga,
published in our last number, is placed by O’Curry in the second
place among these documents, which he sets down in chronological
order.
“The first piece of this class (adopting the chronological order)
is the prayer of St. _Aireran_ the Wise (often called _Aileran_,
_Eleran_, and _Airenan_), who was a classical professor in the
great school of Clonard, and died of the plague in the year 664.
St. Aireran’s prayer or litany is addressed, respectively, to God
the Father, to God the Son, and to God the Holy Spirit, invoking
them for mercy by various titles indicative of their power, glory,
and attributes. The prayer consists of five invocations to the
Father, eighteen invocations to the Son, and five to the Holy
Spirit; and commences in Latin thus: ‘O Deus Pater, Omnipotens
Deus, exerci misericordiam nobis’. This is followed by the same
Invocation in the Gaedhlic; and the petitions to the end are
continued in the same language. The invocation of the Son begins
thus: ‘Have mercy on us, O Almighty God! O Jesus Christ! O Son Of
the living God! O Son, born twice! O only born of God the Father’.
The petition to the Holy Spirit begins: ‘Have mercy on us, O
Almighty God! O Holy Spirit! O Spirit the noblest of all spirits!’
(See original in APPENDIX, No. CXX.)
“When I first discovered this prayer in the _Leabhar Buidhe
Lecain_ (or Yellow Book of _Lecain_), in the library of Trinity
College, many years ago, I had no means of ascertaining or fixing
its date; but in my subsequent readings in the same library, for
my collection of ancient glossaries, I met the word _Oirchis_ set
down with explanation and illustration, as follows:
“ ‘_Oirchis_, id est, Mercy; as it is said in the prayers of
Arinan the Wise’:—Have mercy on us, O God the Father Almighty!”
See original in APPENDIX, No. CXXI.
“I think it is unnecessary to say more on the identity of the
author of this prayer with the distinguished _Aireran_ of Clonard.
Nor is this the only specimen of his devout works that has come
down to us. Fleming, in his Collecta Sacra, has published a
fragment of a Latin tract discovered in the ancient monastery of
St. Gall in Switzerland, which is entitled ‘The Mystical
Interpretation of the Ancestry of our Lord Jesus Christ’. A
perfect copy of this curious tract, and one of high antiquity,
has, I believe, been lately discovered on the continent.
“There was another _Airenan_, also called ‘the wise’, who was
abbot of _Tamhlacht_ [Tallaght] in the latter part of the ninth
century; but he has not been distinguished as an author, as far as
we know”.
It seems to us that there are three things specially worthy of our
consideration in this beautiful prayer.
In the first place, we find in it an explicit and most clear
declaration of the Catholic Faith regarding the Blessed Trinity,
especially the distinction of three persons, and the Divinity of
each of these Divine Persons. “O God the Father Almighty, O God of
Hosts, help us! Help us, O Almighty God! O Jesus Christ! Help us,
O Almighty God, O Holy Spirit!”
We are in the next place struck by the extraordinary familiarity
with the Holy Scripture which the writer evinces. There is
scarcely one of the epithets which is not found in the sacred
pages, almost in the precise words used by him, beginning with the
first words, addressed to the Eternal Father, “O God of Hosts”,
the _Deus Sabaoth_ of the Prophets, and going on to the last
invocation of the Holy Ghost, “Spirit of love”, which comprises in
itself the two inspired phrases: “_Spiritus est Deus_”, and “_Deus
Charitas est_”. We may also remark the coincidence between Saint
Aireran and the liturgical prayers of the Church, especially in
the invocations of the Holy Ghost found in the office of
Whitsuntide and in the administration of the Sacrament of
Confirmation, “_Tu septiformis munere: Digitus Paternae
dexterae_”. “O Finger of God! O Spirit of Seven Forms”.
In fine, we find our Irish saint applying to the Son of God the
vision of the Prophet Ezechiel regarding the four mysterious
animals: “O true Man! O Lion! O young Ox! O Eagle!” The prophecy
is commonly interpreted of the Four Evangelists. Saint Augustine
and Saint Jerome are quoted as authorities for this
interpretation. But it is worthy of remark, that Saint Gregory the
Great, whilst giving the same interpretation, applies the
mysterious vision also to God the Son.(2) And Saint Aireran, by
adopting this opinion, seems to afford us another proof of the
great familiarity of our Irish scholars with the writings of the
great Pontiff and Father of the Church. And this familiarity is
rendered still more remarkable, and serves to give another proof
of the constant communication between Rome and Ireland, from the
close proximity of the times of our Saint and of Saint Gregory.]
O Deus Pater omnipotens Deus exerce tuam misericordiam nobis!
O God the Father Almighty! O God of Hosts, help us.
O illustrious God! O Lord of the world! O Creator of all creatures, help
us.
O indescribable God! O Creator of all creatures, help us.
O invisible God! O incorporeal God! O unseen God! O unimaginable God! O
patient God! O uncorrupted God! O unchangeable God! O eternal God! O
perfect God! O merciful God! O admirable God! O Golden Goodness! O
Heavenly Father, who art in Heaven, help us.
Help us, O Almighty God! O Jesus Christ! O Son of the living God! O Son
twice born! O only begotten of the Father! O first-born of Mary the
Virgin! O Son of David! O Son of Abraham, beginning of all things! O End
of the World! O Word of God! O Jewel of the Heavenly Kingdom! O Life of
all (things)! O Eternal Truth! O Image, O Likeness, O Form of God the
Father! O Arm of God! O Hand of God! O Strength of God! O right (hand) of
God! O true Wisdom! O true Light, which enlightens all men! O Light-giver!
O Sun of Righteousness! O Star of the Morning! O Lustre of the Divinity! O
Sheen of the Eternal Light! O Fountain of immortal Life! O Pacificator
between God and Man! O Foretold of the Church! O Faithful Shepherd of the
flock! O Hope of the Faithful! O Angel of the Great Council! O True
Prophet! O True Apostle! O True Preacher! O Master! O Friend of Souls
(Spiritual Director)! O Thou of the shining hair! O Immortal Food! O Tree
of Life! O Righteous of Heaven! O Wand from the Stem of Moses! O King of
Israel! O Saviour! O Door of Life! O Splendid Flower of the Plain! O
Corner-stone! O Heavenly Zion! O Foundation of the Faith! O Spotless Lamb!
O Diadem! O Gentle Sheep! O Redeemer of mankind! O true God! O True Man! O
Lion! O young Ox! O Eagle! O Crucified Christ! O Judge of the Judgment
Day! help us.
Help us, O Almighty God! O Holy Spirit! O Spirit more noble than all
Spirits! O Finger of God! O Guardian of the Christians! O Protector of the
Distressed! O Co-partner of the True Wisdom! O Author of the Holy
Scripture! O Spirit of Righteousness! O Spirit of Seven Forms! O Spirit of
the Intellect! O Spirit of the Counsel! O Spirit of Fortitude! O Spirit of
Knowledge! O Spirit of Love! help us.