Honoring St. Patrick

For St. Patrick’s Day, it might be helpful to pause and remember a bit about the man we celebrate. Patrick was a Roman Briton who was born in the late fourth century. As an adolescent, he was captured and brought to Ireland, where he lived as a slave for six years. He escaped his captors, but upon returning to Britain he felt God calling him back to do missionary work among the Irish.

He was consecrated a missionary bishop and sent to Ireland, where he faced opposition from both pagans and Christian clergy – the pagans resisted the gospel, while manyclergy resisted Patrick’s ascetic lifestyle. However, through his ministry thousands were brought to faith in Christ, and monasteries were established throughout Ireland.

So, in the midst of corned beef, cabbage, and Guinness, please do remember Patrick first and foremost as a passionate follower of Jesus, willing to take extreme risks to share the love of Christ with all people – even those who had held him captive as a slave. His simple, generous lifestyle lent credence to his message of God’s profound love.

Below is the text of “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” a hymn attributed to St. Patrick that we often sing on Trinity Sunday. Imagine how meaningful these words must have been to Patrick, whose work often put him in grave physical danger:

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to mefor ever,
bypower of faith, Christ’s Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death oncross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet “Well done” in judgment hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors’ faith, apostles’ word,
the patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls;
all good deedsdone unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven
the glorious sun’s life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken, to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ behind me,
Christ before me,
Christ beside me,
Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort
and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of
all that love me,
Christ in mouth of
friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
byinvocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Peace,

Chris