The
following prayer is known as St. Patrick's Lorica, or Breastplate. Its origins
are uncertain. It may indeed not have come from St. Patrick himself. However, it
does reflect the milieu of Patrick’s Celtic Christianity. I offer it today, St.
Patrick’s Day.
I rise
today:
in power’s
strength, invoking the Trinity,
believing in threeness,
confessing the
oneness,
of Creation’s
Creator.
I rise today:
in the power of
Christ’s birth and baptism,
in the power of
his crucifixion and burial,
in the power of
his rising and ascending,
in the power of
his descending and judging.
I rise today:
in the power of
the love of Cherubim
in the obedience
of angel,
and service of
archangels,
in hope of rising
to receive the reward,
in the prayers of
Patriarchs,
in the predictions
of prophets,
in the preachings
of Apostles,
in the faith of
confessors,
in the innocence
of holy virgins,
in the deeds of
the righteous.
I rise today:
in Heaven’s
might,
in Sun’s
brightness,
in Moon’s
radiance,
in Fire’s glory,
in Lightning’s
quickness,
in Wind’s
swiftness,
in Sea’s depth,
in Earth’s
stability,
in Rock’s fixity.
I rise today:
with the power of
God to pilot me,
God’s strength to
sustain me,
God’s wisdom to
guide me,
God’s eye to look
ahead for me,
God’s ear to hear
me,
God’s word to
speak for me,
God’s hand to
protect me,
God’s way before
me,
God’s shield to
defend me,
God’s host to
deliver me:
from snares
of devils,
from evil
temptations,
from
nature’s failings,
from all who
wish to harm me,
far or
near,
alone and
in a crowd.
Around me I gather today all these powers:
against every
cruel and merciless force
to attack my body
and sould,
against the
charms of false prophets,
the black laws of
paganism,
the false laws of
heretics,
the deceptions of
idolatry,
against spells
cast by women, smiths, and druids,
and all unlawful
knowledge
that harms the
body and soul.
May Christ protect me today:
against poison
and burning,
against drowning and
wounding,
so that I may
have abundant reward;
Christ with me,
Christ before me, Christ behind me;
Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me;
Christ to right
of me, Christ to left of me;
Christ in my
lying, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising;
Christ in the
heart of all who think of me,
Christ on the
tongue of all who speak to me,
Christ in the eye
of all who see me,
Christ in ear of
all who hear me.
I rise today:
in power’s
strength, invoking the Trinity,
believing in
threeness,
confessing the
oneness,
of Creation’s
Creator.
For to the Lord belongs salvation,
and to the Lord belongs salvation,
and to Christ belongs salvation.
May your salvation, Lord, be with us always.
-
From Celtic Spirituality,
translated by Oliver Davies, pp 118-120
