It is certainly NOT a coincidence that I was assigned the 17th for each month just a few months ago, that I started praying this absolutely epic prayer written by St. Patrick just a few weeks ago, and here we are, March 17, Feast of St. Patrick. I have every excuse to gush to you all about how I get chills every time I pray this.
Really, it would be better if you just read it and forget whatever I have to say (go ahead, it’s right below in italics). It speaks for itself. But, if you want just a little bit more lore around it, ‘lorica’ has a Latin meaning ‘breastplate’ or ‘body armor.’ It is recorded as a prayer that St. Patrick prayed as he returned to Ireland to smash the pagan idols and convert the people to Christianity. There is even a legend (take it or leave it) that he and his monks sang it when an ambush was laid against them as they were going to Tara, an ancient kingly ceremonial and burial site in Ireland. As they sang, they appeared as deer to their ambushers, safely and lightly treading past them.
Cast Off Your Anxiety
If we genuinely believe Jesus Christ is Lord, we have no reason to fear anything. Illness, demons, pain, poverty, boredom, loneliness, death, purposelessness. Yet we do. How many times a day does the snarl of the wolf attempt to scare us, even though we are already in the arms of our Good Shepherd? No matter how many times our Lord admonishes us to “be not afraid,” and promises us, “I am with you always,” we are often still shamefully worried about the biggest and smallest of things.
So put on St. Patrick’s Breastplate. Bind yourself to the Trinity, the Creator of the Universe. Cast off the anxiety that threatens to rob you of the joy and peace our Lord wants to give you today. Stand tall in the rays of His might and glory. Be assured: the Heart of Jesus never loses.
Little girl, I say to you, arise!
I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation.
I arise today Through the strength of Christ’s birth and His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection and 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 service of archangels, In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In the prayers of patriarchs, In preachings of the apostles, In faiths of confessors, In innocence of virgins, In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today Through the strength of heaven; Light of the sun, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of the wind, Depth of the sea, Stability of the earth, Firmness of the 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 hosts to save me From snares of the devil, From temptations of vices, From everyone who desires me ill, Afar and anear, Alone or in a multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and evil, Against every cruel merciless power that opposes 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 women and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul. Christ shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that reward may come to me in abundance.
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 in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through a confession of the Oneness Of the Creator of creation.
