St. Patrick of Ireland

I have hurled myself into the hands of the all-powerful God

Who rules as Lord everywhere.  St. Patrick of Ireland

The struggle upon which we are engaged is full of hardships,

full of dangers,  for it is the struggle of man against himself.  St. Patrick of Ireland

THE LORICA OF ST. PATRICK

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 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 Judgment of Doom.

I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim

in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels,

in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets,

in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors,

in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through the strength of Heaven:

light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendor 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 for me, God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me,

God's host to secure me:

against snares of devils, against temptations of vices,

against inclinations of nature, against everyone who

shall wish me ill, afar and near, alone and in a crowd.

I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):

against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose

my body and my soul,

against incantations of false prophets,

against black laws of heathenry,

against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry,

against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,

against every knowledge that endangers man's body and soul.

Christ to protect me today

against poison, against burning, against drowning,

against wounding, so that there may come 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 in breadth, Christ in length,

Christ in height, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that 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.

Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord.

Salvation is of Christ. May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

(icon courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Boston)

PATRICK, called the Apostle of Ireland, was born about the year 389, of Roman and British parentage.  Blessed Martin of Tours is said to have been among his kin. But although he is usually accounted as British, the place of this birth is unknown. When Patrick was a lad he was taken prisoner by slavers and carried to Ireland, whence he escaped after six years.  Meanwhile he learned to serve God well, for whilst attending the flock of his master he would rise before the light, in snow and frost and rain, to make his prayers.

HAVING been finally raised to the priesthood, Saint Germanus of Auxierre consecrated him bishop, and sent him back to Ireland, in succession to Saint Palladius, the first Christian missionary, who, after twelve months of labor there, had gone to Scotland and then died.

Patrick travelled to every part of Ireland, converting many of the people and their chiefs by his preaching and example. And everywhere his preaching of the Word was confirmed by wonders and signs following. He washed many of the Irish folk in the laver of regeneration, ordained many bishops and clerks, and decreed rules for virgins and for widows living in continency. And he established Armagh as the primatial See of all Ireland.

BESIDES that which came upon him daily, the care of all the churches of Ireland, he never suffered his spirit to weary in constant prayer. It was said that it was his custom to repeat daily the whole Book of Psalms, together with certain other hymns and prayers, and that he took his short rest lying of a bare stone. He was a great practicer of lowliness, and after the pattern of the Apostle, always continued to work with his own hands.  At last he fell asleepin the Lord in extreme old age, according to some authorities about the year 461, glorious both in word and deed. His body was translated to the Cathedral of Down in Ulster in 1185.  From the website: "Western Orthodox" (current link unavailable). 

St. Patrick's call

As a youth (in Britain), nay, almost as a boy not able to speak, I was taken captive, before I knew what to pursue and what to avoid. Hence today I blush and fear exceedingly to reveal my lack of education; for I am unable to tell my story to those versed in the art of concise writing—in such a way, I mean, as my spirit and mind long to do, and so that the sense of my words expresses what I feel…

But after I came to Ireland—every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed—the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was moved so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many in the night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountains; and I used to get up for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm, and there was no sloth in me—as I now see, because the spirit within me was then fervent.

And there one night I heard in my sleep a voice saying to me: “It is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country.” And again, after a short while, I heard a voice saying to me: “See, your ship is ready.” And it was not near, but at a distance of perhaps two hundred miles, and I had never been there, nor did I know a living soul there; and then I took to flight, and I left the man with whom I had stayed for six years. And I went in the strength of God who directed my way to my good, and I feared nothing until I came to that ship….

And again after a few years I was in Britain with my people. Who received me as their son, and sincerely besought me that now at last, having suffered so many hardships, I should not leave them and go elsewhere.

And there I saw in the night the vision of a man, whose name was Victoricus, coming as it were from Ireland, with countless letters. And he gave me one of them, and I read the opening words of the letter, which were, “The voice of the Irish”; and as I read the beginning of the letter I thought that at the same moment I heard their voice—they were those beside the Wood of Voclut, which is near the Western Sea—and thus did they cry out as with one mouth: “We ask thee, boy, come and walk among us once more.”

And I was quite broken in heart, and could read no further, and so I woke up. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord gave to them according to their cry.

from the “Confessio” of St. Patrick

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