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PT

St. Patrick's Breastplate

4 min

I arise to-day

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 to-day

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 to-day

Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,

In obedience of angels,

In the service of archangels,

In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In prayers of patriarchs,

In predictions of prophets,

In preachings of apostles,

In faiths of confessors,

In innocence of holy virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I arise to-day

Through the strength of heaven:

Light of sun,

Radiance of moon,

Splendour of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of wind,

Depth of sea,

Stability of earth,

Firmness of rock.

I arise to day

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 host to save me

From snares of devils,

From temptations of vices,

From every one who shall wish me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone and in a multitude.

I summon to-day all these powers between me and those evils,

Against every cruel 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 women and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me to-day

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that there may come to me 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 every one who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise to-day

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.

About this prayer

The Lorica of St. Patrick, an ancient Irish prayer of protection: the Christian clothes himself, as in armour, with the strength of the Trinity, the mysteries of Christ, the saints and all creation, and asks Christ to surround him on every side.

History

Known in Old Irish as *Fáeth Fiada* ("The Deer's Cry") and in Latin as a *lorica*, a "breastplate" prayer, it is preserved in the Irish *Liber Hymnorum* (11th century) and attributed to St. Patrick (5th century). Legend says he sang it on the road to Tara when King Lóegaire laid ambushes for him, and that the soldiers saw only a deer passing with its fawn. Scholars date the text to the 7th or 8th century. The English here is Kuno Meyer's translation from the Old Irish; the Portuguese follows the same version.

How to pray it

Traditionally prayed in the morning, as one sets out on the day's work, or in any time of danger or spiritual struggle.

Kuno Meyer, *Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry* (London: Constable, 1911), "The Deer's Cry", pp. 25–27 — [Wikisource](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Selections_from_Ancient_Irish_Poetry/The_Deer%27s_Cry), [archive.org scan](https://archive.org/details/selectionsfroman00meye_0)

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