(Taken from our Wineskins e-mail list.)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Here is what’s called the “Shield of St. Patrick.”
Shield of Saint Patrick
I bind unto myself today the strong name of the trinity,
by invocation of the same, the Three in One, the One in Three.
I bind this day to me forever by power of faith Christ’s incarnation,
His baptism in the Jordan river, his death on the cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spiced tomb, his riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to harken to my need,
The wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward,
The Word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me;
Christ to comfort and restore me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three,
Of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit, Word;
Praise to the God of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord!
I read this from New Wineskins Lent Reflections, too, and sent it out as a greeting to family and friends today.
But this could be a morning resitation every day, in the educational use as a student who is responding to previous lessons from The Teacher: “I bind unto myself today….the Christ.”
My 3 year old son this morning wanted it to be St. Sponge Bob Day.
Too bad he wasn’t a MOTC.
Sorry, my sarcasm is out of control on days ending in Y.
In all seriousness, what a powerful witness this is! I need to read his “shield” daily.
DU
Our minds are tracking today, Mike. I posted a bit different version called “St. Patrick’s Prayer.” Have a good one!
Any word from Houston?
When Christian missionaries (like Patrick) came to Ireland, they encountered a culture in which the pagan religious reps were in the habit of pronouncing incantations of invisible protection that would surround a person, home, or tribe, hemming them in against various dangers.
The early Irish theologian (Patrick?) responsible for the poetic Lorica (”breastplate”), part of which Mike has quoted, wants the Irisk folk to receive Christ as the only real guardian and protector of their souls and lives. He has cast his trinitarian and christocentric convictions into the form of a Christian “incantation” with which they would be familiar, something anyone can recite and meditate on as a centering devotional practice. According to the early Irish spirit, it connects itself to the glorious wilds and force of Nature, as well.
A full and literal form of the Lorica, in case there are other bits anyone might want to lay hold of:
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgement of Doom.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of the Cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of the resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In prediction of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendour of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak to me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me,
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From every one who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in a multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body
and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poising, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So there come to me abundance of reward.
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 arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye of every one who sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
Mike, I too have sent this to my family and friends, as well as posting it on a couple of Faith/Prayer boards in which I participate. It is so beautiful.
My redhead, green-eyed Irish mother would have loved it too.
‘Aye, there be more than a few blessin’s in the havin’ o’ roots in the emerald isle.
Thank ye, Mike and thank ye Jeff.
Truly words fittin’ for such a day!
May the road rise up to meet you…
Thanks for sharing that, Mike. In an age of often compromised Christian living, it is so powerful to read words of total conviction of a life consumed and led completely by Christ. St. Patrick’s Day sure was enlightening down here in Baton Rouge - more beer and beads than you could shake an Irish walking stick at. (I wrote all about it on my site tonight.)
I really enjoy prayers like this one, thanks for sharing. I don’t know if you’ve seen the Northumbria Community book called Celtic Daily Prayer. It has a lot of prayers like this in it. They have a recording of some of the prayers and songs that I really enjoy listening to, in no small part because they are read by people with the Irish, Scots and English accents.