A Concord Pastor Comments

3/17/26

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

A clever friend created this image and included that little leprechaun lapel pin that another friend gave me some 20 years ago or more!

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Pause for Prayer: SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

Our prayer today is one usually attributed to Saint Patrick (387-461 A.D.) and goes by two titles: The Lorica (breastplate or shield) of St. Patrick and The Deer's Cry. Here are three musical settings of the prayer, followed by shorter and long longer samplings of the complete text.

1) The first is Shaun Davey's setting of much of the prayer's text, sung by Rita Connolly.

2) Second is Dwight Beal's adaptation of the Lorica text with a beautiful melody. Arvo Part's haunting choral setting of the section, "Christ with me..." The music here is powerful and haunting: this composer knows his way into my soul...

3) Next is Sir John Rutter's choral setting, "A Prayer of St. Patrick." (As many of you know, I love all of Rutter's work!)

4) And finally, the last entry below, a longer selection from the complete text of the Lorica.

If three videos don't appear below, click here!

☘ ☘ ☘ ☘ ☘

The Lorica of Saint Patrick

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.

Christ to win me
Christ to comfort and restore 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.

Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger.
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

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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3/16/26

NIGHT PRAYER: Monday 3/16

.
My life was born of your love, Lord,
   and your love sustains me, night and day...

My heart is nurtured by your love, Lord,
   without it my soul would waste away...

My spirit's restored by your love, Lord,
   your grace heals the wounds of all my sins...

My life is redeemed by your love, Lord,
   my soul is saved by your grace...

I place all my trust in you, my God,
   my hope is in your saving Word...

In return for my life, Lord,
   in thanksgiving for your love,
I want to know and do your will...

Give me your counsel
   in every thought I entertain:
give me wisdom
   that all my thoughts might please you...

In all the decisions I'll face, Lord,
    give me the light of your truth
      and the courage I need to choose wisely...

In planning and spending my time, Lord:
   give me strength to work,
      a place to pray

and time to rest in your peace...

Remind me, when worries steal my day,
today's the day that you've made, Lord,
the day I'm called to live...

When unexpected turns surprise me

    give me insight and strength to manage
       what tries to manage me...

In the quiet of my prayer tonight,
   help me review my life, Lord,
      and your love for me
         and my fidelity to your word...

In the stillness here with you, Lord,
   help me count my foolish sins
      and your healing mercy in my heart...

In return for my life, O Lord,
   in thanksgiving for all your love,
    help me know and do your will...

Amen.

My God Is All I Need by CityAlight

If a video doesn't appear below, click here!

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3/15/26

Monday Morning Offering: 3/16

Good morning, good God!

So, Lent’s half over, Lord,

and Easter's only three weeks away...

I should be at least half-prepared,

half-ready to celebrate Easter

- but I’m not!

Back on Ash Wednesday I was doing OK,

right up 'til, oh,

maybe the First Sunday of Lent.

(I know, Lord - that was only 4 days!)

So, I offer you my sketchy record here

and ask you to forgive my unkept Lenten pledges…

I acknowledge my lack of self-discipline

- and how I excuse myself so easily...

So many promises, Lord,

made with firm intentions,

but all too often a real FAIL in follow-through…

I confess my laziness,

hoping you'll forgive me

and accept my renewed pledge

to pray more often,

to sacrifice some things I crave

and to reach out to the poor…

And this time, Lord,

let me not try to do this on my own

but rather

to depend and lean on you...

Be with me, Lord,

and be my strength in every temptation,

especially when I'm tempted

to give up on Lent,

on you

or on me...

• When I put off prayer,

draw me to a quiet place

and sit me down to be with you,

to speak with you

and rest, calmly, in your presence…

• When I’m tempted to indulge myself

on what I’ve given up for Lent

(or on anything else, for that matter!)

remind me of my pledge and the reason for it:

to empty out my fullness

and to learn from hunger

what truly feeds my mind and heart...

• When I spend first on myself

and consume more than I need.

show me how much I already have

(and where and how I have too much)

and help me be more generous

to those with little or nothing at all…

And if I’ve failed from the very beginning

to pray and fast and sacrifice,

let today be my “Ash Sunday,”

"day one" of Lent for me:

this day's the day that you’ve made, Lord,

a day for me to grow in your mercy and your grace...

Lord, I offer you my renewed Lenten pledge:

strengthen my resolve,

deepen my commitment

and keep me faithful to you

as I prepare for Easter

and the peace you offer me...

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Sunday 3/15

On Sundays, Night Prayer takes its lead from some element from the day's liturgy. Today is the Third Sunday of Lent, the half-way point of this season, a day often called "Latetare (Latin for Rejoice!) Sunday.... In an email this morning, a friend reminded me of how in Advent, I have in my homily sometimes broken into song with "We Need A Little Christmas" from the musical, "Mame!" (Video) He mused that in the days at hand, "We Need a Little Easter!" I thought that to be a great connection with Laetare Sunday - thus tonight's prayer...

It's true, Lord:

We need a little Easter!

This Earth we call our common home thirsts

for a springtime of renewal and waits

for the sun to rise with light and warmth

to coax new growth

from what's lain buried in cold ground

these long, dark wintry months...

Humanity's spirit, Lord,

needs a little Easter!

The world's people hunger

for Passover's bread of affliction*

to be shared as the bread of freedom;

for the paschal dough of Jesus' bread

to rise in our communion...

And our nation's tortured soul, Lord

- needs a little Easter!

We need to be raised up - and out

of what splits and divides us;

we need to be delivered, renewed

as those who claim, In God we trust;

we need to know once more

that all that rises must converge...

We need the earth to shake again

and shudder in amazement

that you have conquered sin and death:

our sin and our death;

that you have risen from the grave

of selfishness and envy, of grudge and greed,

of lust and hate, of lies and threats,

of all that has entombed us

in our prejudice and pride...

We need a little Easter, Lord

- we need a lot of Easter, Lord!

We need the peace you offered us

in laying down your life;

we need the grace that saves us

in your rising from the dead;

we need the life that can be ours

if we but rise with you...

Oh, yes - we need a little Easter, Lord,

that we might rise again

with you and in your peace...

Protect us, Lord while we're awake
and watch over us while we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen.

* In Jewish tradition, Passover matzo is called "the bread of affliction" — of suffering — and also "the bread of freedom" Those are two main themes of the story of Passover ... fleeing oppression and finding liberation.

I Am the Bread of Life by Susanne Toolan, RSM

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3/14/26

Pause for Prayer: SUNDAY 3/15

First, a little background on this day. It's Laetare (Rejoice!) Sunday, the halfway point of Lent. There are two ways to look at this day: "Lent is half over!" - or - "We're halfway to Easter!" Or both! Today the somber purple of Lent is lightened to rose, calling us to rejoice, even in this season of sacrifice and penance. Sometimes life is like this - is it not? We're called to rejoice when our hearts are heavy... We're called to be at peace in the midst of war... We're called to believe when our doubts are many... In such times and in every season, we''re called to find what we need most in God - from whom all blessings flow...

Let''s pause and pray:

Lord, help me find the joy of your Spirit
even and especially

when things aren't going well...

Help me find your consoling peace
when I'm burdened

with sorrow and with grief...

Help me find my refuge in you
when I'm and feeling lost

andhave no place to go...

Help me find the gift of faith
when my thoughts are all unsure

and my mind is filled with doubt...

Help me know your wisdom, Lord,
when I'm tempted to be foolish,

negligent or careless...

Help me find new hope in you
when my hope is all but gone

and I'm not sure whom to trust...

Help me find your grace and strength
when surrounded by temptation,

when I'm tempted to give in...

Help me find your healing love
when my heart is scarred by hurt

and my memories wear me down...

Help me know your faithful presence

when I'm longing for some company
and feeling all alone...

Help me find my joy in you, Lord
in the middle of this Lent

and halfway now to Easter

and the peace your promise holds...

Amen.

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Night Prayer: SATURDAY 3/14

I was working on this prayer for another purpose and thought I might share it here with you. It's based on the story of the prodigal son who, when he found himself alone, broke and remorseful, came to his senses and decided to return home to his father...

Lord...

When guilt and shame consume me