Since March is the month we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I thought it would be cool to encourage you with one of St. Patrick's most well-known prayers; but first, a history lesson: St. Patrick was a missionary who brought Christianity from Britain to Ireland in approximately 433 A.D. Because paganism was widely practiced throughout Ireland when he arrived there, St. Patrick knew that his mission would be difficult. In order to draw strength for the coming spiritual battle, legend tells us that St. Patrick wrote his most well-known prayer, which is called St. Patrick's Breast-Plate. Below are some of my favorite parts of the prayer. Please read them and take encouragement, and then make this your prayer as well.
…I bind to myself today the virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism, the virtue of His crucifixion with His burial, the virtue of His Resurrection and His Ascension, the virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day…
…I bind to myself today God's Power to guide me, God's Might to uphold me, God's Wisdom to teach me, God's Ear to hear me, God's Word to give me speech, God's Hand to guide me, God's Way to lie before me, God's Shield to shelter me, God's Host to secure me, against the snares of demons, against the seductions of vices, against the lusts of nature, against everyone who meditates injury to me, whether far or near, whether few or many…
…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…Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me…
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