Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

The day being what it is, I thought sharing a bit of a prayer called St. Patrick’s Breastplate might be in order.

“…Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left…..”
(St. Patrick’s Breastplate, a Todd & Stokes edit and translation (1964-1888), via Wikipedia)

Seems that the prayer, it’s a long one, comes from a complete copy written in the 11th century. And maybe dating from the ninth century. Or maybe the eighth. So maybe it’s not from St. Patrick. But ‘Saint Patrick’s Breastplate’ is what we’ve been calling it.

Today, of course, being Saint Patrick’s Day. A feast day no longer on the official liturgical calendar, but remembered nonetheless.

And, as up to now this has been a somewhat serious day for me — which did not restrain me from wearing green, I will have you know ‐ I’ll close with a ‘Happy Saint Patrick’s Day’ to you.

And, as seems inevitable, a link:

• “St. Patrick’s Day: Prickly Problems, Shamrocks and Saints“
  (March 13, 2021)