“I pray to God to give me perseverance and to deign that I be a faithful witness to Him to the end of my life for my God.”

I am Patrick, yes a sinner and indeed untaught; yet I am established here in Ireland where I profess myself bishop. I am certain in my heart that ‘all that I am,’ I have received from God. So I live among barbarous tribes, a stranger and exile for the love of God.

I am certain in my heart that all that I am, I have received from God.

He [God] watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.

I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.

I am Patrick, a sinner, most uncultivated and least of all the faithful and despised in the eyes of many.

For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven.

Sufficient to say, greed is a deadly deed. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

No one should ever say that it was my ignorance if I did or showed forth anything however small according to God’s good pleasure; but let this be your conclusion and let it so be thought, that – as is the perfect truth – it was the gift of God.

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

He who believes shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be damned. God has spoken.

That which I have set out in Latin is not my words but the words of God and of apostles and prophets, who of course have never lied. He who believes shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be damned. God has spoken.

Daily I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises. But I fear nothing, because of the promises of heaven.

If I be worthy, I live for my God to teach the heathen, even though they may despise me.

May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us, may the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us. Be always ours this day and for evermore.

So I live among barbarous tribes, a stranger and exile for the love of God.

If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God.

So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.

Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.

As a mother, the one thing that always goes through your head is, You’re never enough. You never can be enough – or do enough – for your kids. It’s a never-ending issue for me.

I think of death only with tranquility, as an end. I refuse to let death hamper life. Death must enter life only to define it.

He is always becoming, and if it were not for the contingency of death, he would never end.

I don’t need the Prince Charming to have my own happy ending.

But in the end it’s only a passing thing, this shadow; even darkness must pass.

I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.