St Patrick’s Day
Dear Friends
Welcome to this Companionship Email on St Patrick’s Day.
Today is the feast day of St Patrick, Celtic saint and patron of Ireland and Nigeria. Patrick’s historical self, mingled with a number of legends, make him a figure truly larger than life, and something of a paradox. Despite being in Lent, St Patrick’s feast day is joyously celebrated by many.
Patrick was a Roman Briton born in 390 to Christian parents in the latter years of the Roman Empire in Britain. He was captured by Irish raiders when he was sixteen and taken to Ireland as a slave. After 6 years he escaped and returned to Gaul where he trained as a Priest. In his early forties he returned to Ireland as bishop making his base at Armagh and evangelised the people of the land by walking all over the island. He died in 461.
Among the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland—prompting all serpents to slither away into the sea. In fact, research suggests snakes never occupied the Emerald Isle in the first place. There are no signs of snakes in the country’s fossil record. And water has surrounded Ireland since the last glacial period. Before that, the region was covered in ice and would have been too cold for the reptiles.
Patrick was a deeply spiritual man and I personally use his most famous prayer, St Patrick’s Breastplate, especially in my Ministry of Healing. Here it is in written form which I offer to you:
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendour 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
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
Christ shield me today
Against wounding
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 everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation.
And, better yet, here is it being sung in one of my favourite versions of this seminal prayer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeVEGOPjJXQ
Music: ‘The Deer’s Cry’: Album: The Pilgrim. A Celtic suite for orchestra, soloists, Pipe band and choir. Music by Shaun Davey, Tara CD, Dublin , 1994. Sung by Rita Connolly.
A statue of St. Patrick at Croagh Patrick mountain, a Catholic pilgrimage site in Ireland
Today, let us remember the Saint who battled with Druids, had secrets and visons, was stubborn and demanded God send him angels. On his feast day, let us join with all celts throughout the world and celebrate his life with or without a pint of the black stuff (Guinness!)
Blessings
Samantha
Assistant Chaplain