A Prayer for Peace by Saint Patrick of Ireland

 Our situation of perpetual war seems impossible to change.  The politics of non-violence advocated by Martin Luther King seem to be ignored.  Prayer can provide the inspiration to continue in the struggle for the joy of creative peace.

Saint Patrick of Ireland negotiated with druids and the kings they served.  He vehemently opposed slavery and advocated for women’s rights, but he never established an army to fight the pirates and slave traders.  His appeal was to their humanity.  His defense was a ‘Breastplate’, the breastplate of prayer which follows.

Breastplate of Saint Patrick

I bind myself 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 bind myself 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 bind myself 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.                           

In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,                         In the prayers of patriarchs,                                            

In the predictions of prophets,                                                       In the preaching of apostles,

I bind myself 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 bind myself 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,

gainst 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 bind myself 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.

We know that Patrick is with us in our quest for an enduring peace.