Words Of Wisdom In Saint Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

Saint Patrick's Breastplate is a faith-filled prayer from the 5th century, and is attributed to Ireland's patron saint.

This litany or invocation is said to have been written by Saint Patrick in the year 433 A.D. as he appealed for divine protection.

Irish prayer from Saint Patrick - I arise today through a mighty strength — Saint Patricks Prayer

Spiritual Prayer of Saint Patrick
The Breastplate or Lorica of Saint Patrick
History Of Saint Patrick's Breastplate
Did Saint Patrick actually write this prayer?
Other Names For Saint Patrick's Breastplate
Our Irish Christian Heritage

Spiritual Prayer of Saint Patrick

St. Patrick's spirituality shines through the lyrical words of this old Irish prayer. As a result, the reader of St Patrick's Prayer is left in no doubt of his deep faith, and his strong belief in the battle between good and evil. Patrick believes evil can only be addressed by asking for God's help and protection.

Our Irish heritage is important in this little corner of the internet. I hope that today's post about Saint Patrick will help you further explore our heritage of faith.

And so, without further ado, let's first read Saint Patrick's Lorica, before taking a closer look at its history and importance as a piece of our Irish cultural inheritance.

Patrick prays that the Word of God will inspire him, the Wisdom of God will lead him and that his faith will be affirmed by invoking the strong name of the Trinity.

We know that Saint Patrick taught the Irish about the Holy Trinity through the use of the shamrock as a symbol of three beings in one.

The Breastplate or Lorica of Saint Patrick

Each verse has a theme and invocation for help and support. In the first verse, Saint Patrick calls upon the Trinity, displaying his belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Remember, he also used the shamrock as a famous symbol of the Holy Trinity, to help convert the pagan Irish to Christianity.

First Verse of the Breastplate of Saint 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.

Second Verse of the Breastplate of Saint Patrick

In the second verse he shares his faith in Jesus, drawing strength from the knowledge of Christ's baptism, death, resurrection, ascension and return once again on Judgement Day.

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 judgment of doom.

Third Verse of the Breastplate of Saint Patrick

The third verse extols the love and virtues of angels, archangels, saints, prophets and martyrs.

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

Fourth Verse of the Breastplate of Saint Patrick

The fourth verse is one of my favorites. Here, Saint Patrick praises the wonders of creation, and all that the world and universe gives to us.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

Fifth Verse of the Breastplate of Saint Patrick

In the fifth verse we learn that Saint Patrick believes God's strength is within him, as a gift from the Creator.

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 shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

Sixth Verse of the Breastplate of Saint Patrick

Next we learn of the many snares, temptations and ill-wishers from which Saint Patrick is seeking protection. The list of things from which he requires protection is a long one, listing the whole dastardly crew of false prophets, heathens, heretics, wizards, druids, smiths and witches.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and 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 witches 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 that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Quotation graphic showing a rising sun and an excerpt from the Breastplate of Saint Patrick — The Breastplate of Saint Patrick

Most Famous Verse of the Breastplate of Saint Patrick

The next verse is often recited as a prayer in and of itself. Here, Saint Patrick calls for Christ to be in all things, in all people and in everything that surrounds him.

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 everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Concluding Verse of the Breastplate of Saint Patrick

And once again Saint Patrick returns to the theme of the Trinity, closing his prayer as he started...

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.

Text on a graphic for Saint Patrick's Breastplate — The Lorica of Saint Patrick

History Of Saint Patrick's Breastplate

This prayer is part of the Liber Hymnorum or The Book of Hymns, a collection of forty hymns in Latin and Irish, and almost all, including the Breastplate of Saint Patrick, are of Irish origin.

Significantly, it was included in a 1903 publication called Thesaurus Paleohibernicus. There, it is claimed Saint Patrick composed the prayer to seek God's protection from the armies of the pagan King Laoghaoire, who did not wish him to approach the Hill of Tara and sow the seeds of Christianity amongst the Irish.

Notably, the legend claims Saint Patrick and his followers were transformed by God into deer, so the pagan army would not find them.

Did Saint Patrick actually write this prayer?

In fact, the answer to that question is debatable. For centuries in Ireland it has been ascribed to St. Patrick, as his morning prayer written in the Old Irish language.

Scholars agree that it is an early example of Irish Christian literature. However, it is impossible to say if it was actually composed by Patrick.

Equally important to note is that it is a Lorica or Breastplate prayer which means it has pre-Christian origins.

In any event, we know that Saint Patrick and other saints of the 5th century did not cast aside old Celtic rites and prayers, as they converted the Irish to Christianity.

Instead, they chose to accept and adapt Celtic traditions as the Irish transitioned to accepting a new religion.

Moreover, we may never know the true composer of this prayer of protection, but in the meantime we will ascribe it to our patron saint.

Other Names For Saint Patrick's Breastplate

Saint Patrick's Breastplate is the most widely used name, but it is also called The Prayer of Protection.

Since the legend surrounding the prayer claims Saint Patrick was turned into a deer to escape the pagan King Laoghaire, it is sometimes called The Deer's Cry.

Notbably, you'll also find it named The Lorica of Saint Patrick or Saint Patrick's Hymn.

Indeed, in 1889 it was adapted into the hymn "I Bind Unto Myself Today."

To clarify, in the version I shared today each verse of the prayer begins with the repetition of the same phrase, "I arise today." In the 1889 hymn, the first line became,"I bind unto myself today."

Our Irish Christian Heritage

In conclusion we can say that this prayer is undoubtedly part of our Irish Christian heritage.

Without doubt, these are some of the words of wisdom passed down through generations of Celtic people.

It can be said as a whole, or individual verses recited as prayers. It's a perfect prayer for Saint Patrick's Day.

To sum up, I hope these words of Saint Patrick, or possibly of another of our early Irish saints, may act as divine protection and provide you with spiritual strength as you face each and every day.

Furthermore, here are some other ramblings you may enjoy....

The Many Names For Ireland

The Meaning Of Some Popular Irish Last Names

Our Irish Heritage

Plus here are some other posts about Saint Patrick's Day.

The Life of St. Patrick

The Religious Significance and History of Croagh Patrick

Did Saint Patrick Really Banish All The Snakes From Ireland?

The Shamrock - A Well Loved Symbol Of Ireland

Leprechaun Traps for a Little Saint Patrick's Day Magic

Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.