PATRICK OF IRELAND

(17 MAR c461)

Patrick was born about 390, in southwest Britain, somewhere between the Severn and the Clyde rivers, son of a deacon and grandson of a priest. When about sixteen years old, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. Until this time, he had, by his own account, cared nothing for God, but now he turned to God for help. After six years, he either escaped or was freed, made his way to a port 200 miles away, and there persuaded some sailors to take him onto their ship. He returned to his family much changed, and began to prepare for the priesthood, and to study the Bible. 

Around 435, Patrick was commissioned, perhaps by bishops in Gaul and perhaps by the Pope, to go to Ireland as a bishop and missionary. Four years earlier another bishop, Palladius, had gone to Ireland to preach, but he was no longer there (my sources disagree on whether he had died, or had become discouraged and left Ireland to preach in Scotland). Patrick made his headquarters at Armagh in the North, where he built a school, and had the protection of the local monarch. From this base he made extensive missionary journeys, with considerable success. To say that he single-handedly turned Ireland from a pagan to a Christian country is an exaggeration, but is not far from the truth. 

Almost everything we know about him comes from his own writings, available in English in the Ancient Christian Writers series. He has left us an autobiography (called the Confessio), a Letter to Coroticus in which he denounces the slave trade and rebukes the British chieftain Coroticus for taking part in it, and the Lorica (or "Breastplate" a poem of disputed authorship traditionally attributed to Patrick), a work that has been called "part prayer, part anthem, and part incantation." The Lorica is a truly magnificent hymn, found today in many hymnals (usually abridged by the omission of the two stanzas bracketed below). The translation into English as given here is by Cecil Frances Alexander, whose husband was Archbishop of Armagh, and thus the direct successor of Patrick. She published nearly 400 poems and hymns of her own, including the well-known "There is a green hill far away," "Once in royal David's city," "Jesus calls us; o'er the tumult," and "All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small." 

   THE LORICA, OR, ST PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE 

   I bind unto myself today 
      the strong Name of the Trinity, 
   by invocation of the same, 
      the Three in One, and One in Three. 

   I bind this day to me forever, 
      by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation; 
   his baptism in the Jordan river; 
      his death on cross for my salvation; 
   his bursting from the spiced tomb; 
      his riding up the heavenly way; 
   his coming at the day of doom: 
      I bind unto myself today. 

   I bind unto myself the power 
      of the great love of cherubim; 
   the sweet "Well done" in judgement hour; 
      the service of the seraphim; 
   confessors' faith, apostles' word, 
      the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls; 
   all good deeds done unto the Lord, 
      and purity of virgin souls. 

   I bind unto myself today 
      the virtues of the starlit heaven, 
   the glorious sun's life-giving ray, 
      the whiteness of the moon at even, 
   the flashing of the  lightning free, 
      the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks, 
   the stable earth, the deep salt sea, 
      around the old eternal rocks. 

   I bind unto myself today 
      the power of God to hold and lead, 
   his eye to watch, his might to stay, 
      his ear to hearken to my need; 
   the wisdom of my God to teach, 
      his hand to guide, his shield to ward; 
   the word of God to give me speech, 
      his heavenly host to be my guard. 

   [Against the demon snares of sin, 
      the vice that gives temptation force, 
   the natural lusts that war within, 
      the hostile men that mar my course; 
   of few or many, far or nigh, 
      in every place, and in all hours 
   against their fierce hostility, 
      I bind to me these holy powers. 

   Against all Satan's spells and wiles, 
      against false words of heresy, 
   against the knowledge that defiles 
      against the heart's idolatry, 
   against the wizard's evil craft, 
      against the death-wound and the burning 
   the choking wave and poisoned shaft, 
      protect me, Christ, till thy returning.] 

      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 beneath me, Christ above me, 
         Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, 
      Christ in hearts of all that love me, 
         Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. 

   I bind unto myself the Name, 
      the strong Name of the Trinity, 
   by invocation of the same, 
      the Three in One, and One in Three. 
   Of whom all nature hath creation, 
      eternal Father, Spirit, Word: 
   praise to the Lord of my salvation, 
      salvation is of Christ the Lord. 

A more literal translation, by Kuno Meyer, is the following: 

    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 judgement of Doom. 

    I arise today 
    Through the strength of the love of the Cherubim, 
    In the obedience of angels, 
    In the service of archangels, 
    In the hope of the resurrection to meet with reward, 
    In the prayers of patriarchs, 
    In prediction of prophets, 
    In preaching of apostles, 
    In faith of confessors, 
    In innocence of holy virgins, 
    In deeds of righteous men. 

    I arise today 
    Through the strength of heaven; 
    Light of sun, 
    Radiance of moon, 
    Splendour of fire, 
    Speed of lightning, 
    Swiftness of wind, 
    Depth of sea, 
    Stability of earth, 
    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 to me, 
    God's hand to guard me, 
    God's way to lie before me, 
    God's shield to protect me, 
    God's host to save me, 

    From snares of devils, 
    From temptation of vices, 
    From every one who shall wish me ill, 
    Afar and anear, 
    Alone and in a multitude. 
    I summon today all these powers between me and those evils, 

    Against every cruel 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 women 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 there come to me 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 every one who speaks of me, 
    Christ in the eye of every one who sees me, 
    Christ in every ear that hears me. 

    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. 

An aspect of Patrick's thought that shows very clearly through his writings is his awareness of himself as an unlearned exile, a former slave and a fugitive, who has learned the hard way to put his sole trust in God. 

 by James Kiefer