_How in his Journey to Rome he Found the Staff of Jesus._
And being desirous that his journey and all his acts should by the
apostolic authority be sanctioned, he was earnest to travel unto the
city of Saint Peter, and there more thoroughly to learn the canonical
institutes of the holy Roman Church. And when he had unfolded his
purpose unto Germanus, the blessed man approved thereof, and associated
unto him that servant of Christ, Sergecius the presbyter, as the
companion of his journey, the solace of his labor, and the becoming
testimony of his holy conversation. Proceeding, therefore, by the
divine impulse, or by the angelic revelation, he went out of his course
unto a solitary man who lived in an island in the Tuscan Sea; and the
solitary man was pure in his life, and he was of great desert and
esteemed of all, and in his name and in his works he was Just; and
after their holy greetings were passed, this man of God gave unto
Patrick a staff which he declared himself to have received from the
hands of the Lord Jesus.
And there were in the island certain other solitary men, who lived
apart from him, some of whom appeared to be youths, and others decrepit
old men, with whom when Patrick had conversed, he learned that the
oldest of them were the sons of the youths; and when Saint Patrick,
marvelling, enquired of them the cause of so strange a miracle, they
answered unto him, saying: "We from our childhood were continually
intent on works of charity, and our door was open to every traveller
who asked for victual or for lodging in the name of Christ, when on a
certain night we received a stranger having in his hand a staff; and we
showed unto him so much kindness as we could, and in the morning he
blessed us, and said, I am Jesus Christ, unto whose members ye have
hitherto ministered, and whom ye have last night entertained in His own
person. Then the staff which He bore in His hand gave He unto yonder
man of God, our spiritual father, commanding him that he should
preserve it safely, and deliver it unto a certain stranger named
Patrick, who would, after many days were passed, come unto him. Thus
saying, He ascended into heaven; and ever since we have continued in
the same youthful state, but our sons, who were then infants, have, as
thou seest, become decrepit old men."
And Patrick, giving thanks unto God, abided with the man of God certain
days, profiting in God by his example yet more and more; at length he
bade him farewell, and went on his way with the staff of Jesus, which
the solitary man had proffered unto him. O excellent gift! descending
from the Father of light, eminent blessing, relief of the sick, worker
of miracles, mercy sent of God, support of the weary, protection of the
traveller! For as the Lord did many miracles by the rod in the hand of
Moses, leading forth the people of the Hebrews out of the land of
Egypt, so by the staff that had been formed for His own hands was He
pleased, through Patrick, to do many and great wonders to the
conversion of many nations. And the staff is held in much veneration
in Ireland, and even unto this day it is called the staff of Jesus.