St. Patrick's Breastplate — A Prayer

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,

through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim and the obedience of angels

and the service of Archangels and the hope of resurrection to meet with reward in the

prayers of patriarchs and the predictions of prophets and the preaching of apostles and

the faith of confessors in the innocence of holy virgins and the deeds of righteous men.

I arise 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 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 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, against 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 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.