The Breastplate of St. Patrick & the Christ Hymn
Dear Reader,
We tend to associate St. Patrick’s Day with the color green and drunken revels, but this legendary figure has a rich history worth noting, one that draws us to contemplate the nature of Christ’s presence and power.
The patron saint of Ireland has many legends surrounding him, including allegedly raising people from the dead and driving all the snakes out of Ireland(!).1 Despite all the apocryphal tales, we do know a few things about the man. He was actually born in Britain, but he was taken to Ireland where he lived as slave for six years. This is where he turned to faith in Christ. He escaped back to Britain only to feel called to return to Ireland to spread the gospel.2
The Breastplate of St. Patrick
The Prayer of St. Patrick, often referred to as the “Breastplate of St. Patrick” is associated with the Saint and the holiday, though we do not know if was actually penned by him. It is a prayer for protection on a long journey. One of my favorite portions of the prayer is below.
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.
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.
Whatever I am doing, Jesus is with me. I am reminded of Psalm 139, in which the Psalmist describes the immanence of God:
You hem me in behind and before and lay your hand upon me…if I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. (v. 5–10)3
Not only is Christ present with me at every moment, but I ought to exude Christ to others at every moment. What would it be like for Jesus to actually be in the mouth of all who converse with me, or in the eyes of everyone who sees me? Surely such a thing can never come from me. I can only pray for God to make it so.
The Christ Hymn
This prayer also brings to mind a passage in Colossians. Often referred to as “the Christ Hymn” because of its poetic nature, it falls near the beginning of Paul’s letter. It reads,
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross (Col 1:15–20)
The description of Jesus being at the beginning of all creation makes us think of John 1: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus is one with God. In him, the fabric of the universe is bound together. Nothing exists without him. Moreover, anywhere we go he is with us. This is what immanence means: God present with us.
Jesus is also the “image of the invisible God,” meaning he is the likeness of God, incarnate on the earth for a short time. The word image should make us think of how we, as humans, are made in the image of God. We carry certain aspects of God’s likeness, and we use them in the world: such as creativity and stewardship.(Matters of the Trinity can get dicey very quickly, so let me also say this: I am NOT claiming that Jesus only carries certain parts of God. Jesus is fully God.) Just as Jesus was the visible image of God on earth, so we are the image of Christ in the world.
Returning to Bondage
The prayer ends with the same refrain as it began: “I arise today through a mighty strength,” reminding us that God is the one who gives us strength on our journeys. In 5th century Ireland, St. Patrick was beset with many obstacles. The ones listed in the prayer would have been real threats: burning, wounding, and poisoning. He was in constant danger of being martyred by the pagans to whom he was ministering. Despite these challenges he continued to do as he was called. Remember: this was the very land of his bondage. Can you imagine returning to a place where you were a prisoner?
Perhaps some of us are being called to a place we do not want to go. Remember the courage of St. Patrick. He is credited with spreading the gospel to the Picts and the Anglo-Saxons (modern day English people). What would have happened had he not been faithful to God? Let us be faithful in our journeys, both literal and metaphorical, and may we remember the power of Christ and his nearness to us.
The complete prayer 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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.4
Also, according to legend, St. Patrick used the three-leaf clover as an illustration of the Trinity.
All Scripture is in ESV.
I always love learning about Christian history. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
It’s always a pleasure to read your stuff! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!