Pause for Prayer: St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The text for today's Pause for Prayer (written in the 5th century and attributed to St. Patrick 387-461 A.D.) goes by two titles: The Lorica (the Breastplate or Shield) of St. Patrick and The Deer's Cry.  Here are four versions (3 musical) for our prayer today:

1) The first is Shaun Davey's setting of much of the prayer's text, sung by Rita Connolly, along with graphics. (This recording is part of my morning prayer 365 days a year!)

2) Up second is my personal favorite of the three: Arvo Part's haunting choral setting of the section, "Christ with me..." 

3) Next is John Rutter's choral setting, "A Prayer of St. Patrick."  (And I do confess to loving all of John Rutter's work!)

4) And finally, a longer selection from the complete text of the Lorica itself.





 
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.

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.

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.

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