27th September, 2011
DAVID ADAMS
 |
ST PATRICK
PICTURE: © John Woodworth (www.istockphoto.com)
|
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.
Attributed to St Patrick – a fifth century Celtic missionary, this is a small part of a longer prayer generally known as St Patrick’s Breastplate.
It is so called thanks to its emphasis on the protection God offers, through Christ, in the life of the believer - the name itself draws on the passage in Ephesians 6:14 in which Paul talks about wearing a “breastplate of righteousness” as part of the a Christian's armour against the “day of evil”.
Some have claimed the prayer, which is also known as St Patrick's Lorica (a Latin word meaning body armour), actually dates from the 8th century (and hence would be unrelated to St Patrick), but others believe that St Patrick composed the prayer when facing hostility while bringing the Gospel to Ireland.
While elsewhere the prayer specifically asks for God’s protection for the prayer against everything from “the natural lusts that war within” to “the knowledge that defiles”, in the passage above it speaks of an intimacy between Christ and those who follow Him and of the desire to have Christ interwoven in our lives.
There are many variations of this beautiful prayer which was credited as being translated into English by Cecil Frances Alexander in 1889. Following its translation into English it was set to music and subsequently became a popular hymn, I bind unto myself today (after the prayer's first line), in the late Victorian era. It is still sung on St Patrick’s Day.
There are, as mentioned, several different versions of the prayer. A couple of complete versions can be found here or here while the music that goes with it can be heard here.
Has a great Christian prayer particularly inspired or challenged you? Leave a comment below or send an email to editor@sightmagazine.com.au to let us know.
FOR MORE OF OUR SERIES ON GREAT PRAYERS click here... |
