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| Image by Gitta Zahn |
St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer
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A GREETING
You, O Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
(Psalm 3:3)
A READING
I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
(Psalm 18:1-2)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
When my spirit is faint, you know my way.
(Psalm 142:3)
A REFLECTION
In the Celtic monastic tradition, a lorica is a type of prayer seeking protection, invoking the power of God to safeguard us against darker forces. The word lorica means “shield” and would originally have been a Druidic prayer engraved by soldiers on shields and breastplates as they went into battle... Likely the [breastplate] prayer is rooted in the precarious sense we often have of our own existence...These can be powerful prayers when we acknowledge our own places of woundedness and ask for protection from the inner struggles we all face. It becomes an unhealthy practice when we see all the evil forces as “out there” and don’t claim our own shadow work. This is rooted in a profound sense of our fragility as human beings.
- from The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Keeping the Sacred,
by Christine Valters Paintner
THE ST. PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE PRAYER
(Part 1)
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.
(From a literal translation by Kuno Meyer)
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| Icon of St. Patrick, by Marcy Hall found on AbbeyoftheArts.com |
This week, we will pray with the entire St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer, breaking it up into parts so that we can reflect more deeply on it. The prayer will also allow us to reflect on some of the themes that are present in the last three weeks of a traditional pre-Advent church calendar when we remember the past, present and future of Jesus as a shepherd, and one whose truth reigns through his endurance in all things.
At the same time, we will continue our reflection on contemporary saints, living and recently gone, whose work fosters deep hope in our world. To accompany us this week, we turn to the work of Christine Valters Paintner, an American Benedictine Oblate and spiritual writer who makes her home in Ireland where she has founded an online ministry and worldwide community known as Abbey of the Arts. Calling herself an Online Abbess, Paintner brings her Benedictine formation alongside a deep respect and ongoing passion for Celtic spirituality, often partnering with Irish and international writers, artists, musicians and dancers to dive deeply into themes of Celtic Christianity, through online courses and live webinars. She has written and spoken frequently about Patrick.
Patrick is by far the most famous of Irish Christian monks and yet his early relationship to Ireland was difficult at best. He was born and grew up in the west part of England where, at the age of 16, he was captured and enslaved by Irish slave traders and brought to Ireland where he was forced to tend to sheep. He was already Christian but it was during the time of being enslaved that his faith deepened. When he managed to escape and return to England he was recaptured and enslaved again, then escaped again. It was at this point that he began to wonder if perhaps the will of God was for him to actually remain in Ireland. Therefore, when he became a free man he returned by his own will and is credited with being one of the principal founders of Christianity in Ireland. His life was a profoundly difficult one, in part because of his generous and deeply felt sense of inclusion for everyone and everything. He worked to build good relationships with the non-Christian Irish as well. He strove to end slavery in Ireland and was a great supporter of the vocation of women. For these convictions and more, he was often on the edge of martyrdom.
The "Breastplate prayer," as Paintner tells us, is a 'lorica,' a prayer asking for shielding or protection. In prayer, we sometimes ask God or Jesus to shield us from the challenging circumstances or outcomes we most fear. As we will see, Patrick's lorica prayer is also a declaration of accompaniment, of knowing and feeling God's presence with him. In our own lives, how can we transform our desire for God to protect us from bad times into an invitation to be present before, during and after they may take place? How might this change how we live in the present moment?
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| Image by Terry Ballard |
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Scripture passages are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.
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LC† Vigil in Hope is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!
