Remembering St Patrick

by Christine Sine

Today is St Patrick’s Day, best known to many of us as a time to eat corned beef and cabbage and drink Guiness. However St Patrick deserves to be remembered for far more than that. He not only brought Ireland into the Christian faith, he also wrote some wonderful prayers the continue to enrich our faith today.  The best known of these is St Patrick’s Breastplate which I encourage you to spend time reflecting on today.

I love this telling of the story of Patrick and the writing os St Patrick’s Breastplate

If you are looking for a version to use for quiet meditation I highly recommend this one called The Deer’s Cry

Or if you are looking for a more traditional hymn – I love this one

And I couldn’t resist putting my own stamp on it with this prayer adapted from St Patrick’s Breastplate that I wrote a couple of yers ago

We bind unto ourselves today

the strong name of the trinity,

By invocation of the same,

the Three in One and One in three.

We bind this day to us forever, by power of faith, Christ’s Incarnation;

His baptism in the Jordan River; his death on cross for my salvation;

His bursting from the spiced tomb; His riding up the heavenly way;

his coming at the day of doom; We bind unto ourselves today.

We cast off the works of darkness today,

And put on the armour of light,

Light before us and behind,

Light within and light without,

Light to guide and to lead us,

Let us clothe ourselves with Christ.

Christ behind us, Christ before us,

Christ beside us, Christ to win us,

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath us, Christ above us,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love us,

Christ in mouth of friend & stranger 

Let us wrap ourselves around with the belt of truth,

And strap on the breastplate of righteousness,

Let us clad our feet with the gospel of peace,

place the helmet of salvation on our heads.

And take up the shield of faith.

Let us clothe ourselves with Christ.

We bind unto ourselves today, the power of God to hold and lead,

God’s eye to watch, God’s might to stay, God’s ear to harken to our need,

The wisdom of our God to teach, God’s hand to guide, and shield to ward,

The Word of God to give us speech, God’s heavenly host to be our guard. 

In the love of God who shelters us,

In the light of Christ who walks beside us,

In the power of the Spirit who dwells within us,

We place ourselves today.

Let us clothe ourselves with Christ.

We bind unto ourselves today the strong name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same, the Three in One, the One in Three.

Of whom all nature hath creation, Eternal God, Spirit, Word;

Praise to the God of our salvation, Salvation is of Christ the Lord.