For ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Image: IntoTheMystik

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day is on Tuesday but its celebration often stretches over several days, thus this early post.  There's an ancient prayer attributed to St. Patrick himself, often called the Breastplate (Lorica) of St. Patrick and sometimes The Deer's Cry.  Here are four versions of it.

1) The first includes Shaun Davey's setting of much of the prayer's text along with graphics.
2) A longer selection from the complete text of the Lorica.
3) Arvo Part's choral setting of the section, "Christ with me..."  This is beautiful, haunting and, in my estimation, the most prayerful setting of this piece I've ever heard.
4)  John Rutter's choral setting, "A Prayer of St. Patrick"

I hope that between now and tomorrow you might spend time with each of these four versions of this magnificent prayer.

The Lorica of St. Patrick

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth and his baptism,

Through the strength of his crucifixion and his burial,

Through the strength of his resurrection and his ascension...

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of angels...

In the hope of the resurrection,

In the prayers of ancestors in the faith,

In the preaching of the apostles,

In the faith of martyrs

In the innocence and purity of the deeds of the righteous.

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of the sun,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of the wind,

Depth of the sea,

Stability of the earth,

Firmness of the 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 way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's hosts to save me

From snares of the devil,

From temptations of vices,

From every one who desires me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,

Against every cruel merciless power 
that opposes my body and soul,

Against false prophets, false laws and idolatry...

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 in the heart of every one who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through a confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

St. Patrick (ca. 377)

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 arise, 

Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Christ with me.

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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 above me

Christ beneath me

Christ in quiet

Christ in danger

Christ in hearts of all that love me

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

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