Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Last year I posted the St. Patrick’s Breastplate prayer and a beautiful recitation of it.  Go back and pray and listen to it.  It’s worth it.  It’s a prayer one should pray regularly, but if you forget, today is the opportune time to do it at least once for the year.

Today I want to link to an expounding of the prayer by Fr. Patrick Briscoe, OP, “St.Patrick’s Breastplate UNPACKED” over at Aleteia. 

Let me give you a sample. 

 

St. Patrick’s Breastplate (also called the Lorica, from the Latin word for Roman armor) is a prayer to take up arms in spiritual battle. Summoning the forces of heaven to combat the armies of hell, this prayer attributed to the Apostle of Ireland contains a wealth of theological wisdom. On the feast of St. Patrick, take a moment to pray and reflect on these ancient, powerful words.

 

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.

 

St. Patrick’s prayer starts with the central mystery of the Christian faith: the Holy Trinity. The Christian God is one in three, three in one. The eternal Father begets the Son, and together they breathe forth the Holy Spirit. Eternal and infinite, the love of Father, Son, and Spirit pours forth upon the world. The diffused goodness of God, a goodness so great that it cannot be contained, spills out upon all creation, making and forming the world in love.

 

Oh read the entire article.  It’s a beautiful prayer and a great explanation.

I also found another musical version, this by Dwight Beal, who I have never heard of.  He takes some liberties with the words to fit his melody, but the spirit is faithful to the prayer.  He calls it "The Hymn of St. Patrick."

It’s beautiful.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day.  And remember, it's a religious day first and foremost.

Music Tuesday: St. Patrick's Breastplate

I haven’t had a Music Tuesday post in a while.  What better day than today, March 17^th, St. Patrick’s Day, to post a musical version of St. Patrick’s Breastplate.  Whether St. Patrick actually wrote it, I’m not exactly sure, but it goes back deep into Irish roots. 

First here’s the prayer:

St. Patrick's Breastplate.

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 judgment of doom.

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of cherubim,

In the obedience of angels,

In the service of archangels,

In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In the prayers of patriarchs,

In the predictions of prophets,

In the preaching of apostles,

In the faith of confessors,

In the innocence of holy virgins,

In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through

The strength of heaven,

The light of the sun,

The radiance of the moon,

The splendor of fire,

The speed of lightning,

The swiftness of wind,

The depth of the sea,

The stability of the earth,

The 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 for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's host to save me

From snares of devils,

From temptation of vices,

From everyone who shall wish me ill,

afar and near.

I summon today

All these powers between me and those evils,

Against every cruel and 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 witches and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;

Christ to shield me today

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that there may come to me an 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 everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

We should add "Christ to shield me today against unseen viruses."

Here’s a musical version by David Ruis.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.