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The Breastplate of St. Patrick
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 when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone 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.
These words are from the eighth and ninth stanzas of an eleven-stanza prayer attributed to St. Patrick of Ireland in the 5th century. I love the imagery! Rather than just reading the prayer and moving on to the next thing — whatever it is and despite its urgency — let’s practice using our holy imaginations to savor each line.
Where do you see Christ in yourself? Imagine Him going before you into your uncertain future just as He was with you in all parts of your past. Christ lives within you; sit with that for a moment. The Holy One who has always existed and always loved you lives within you; He is not distant.
Christ is beneath you to keep you from sinking too far and above you to draw you up to Himself. Visualize Him at your right in your strength and at your left in your weakness (or the reverse if you are left-handed).
As we approach All Saints’ Day, may St. Patrick’s prayer for protection remind you that Christ is the shield who completely surrounds you. He is with you in every conceivable place and posture. And He is the One who will be with you no matter who or what you encounter.
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.
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