Saint Patrick's Breastplate

This week, the Church remembered Saint Patrick. As someone with a lifelong fear of snakes, he is certainly a favourite of mine! Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and bishop of Romano-British origin who lived during the fifth century and primarily worked in Ireland. He is widely known as the “Apostle of Ireland” and serves as the nation’s chief patron saint, as well as being the patron saint of Nigeria.

As we give thanks for Saint Patrick, his life and his ministry, I am particularly reminded of the 11th century Irish hymn “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate”, which is traditionally credited to the saint.

“Saint Patrick’s Breastplate” is written in the form of a protective prayer, known as a lorica. The first five sections draw on five different sources of spiritual support, famously beginning “I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity”. Following the Trinity, the other four areas invoked for support are: Christ's baptism, death, resurrection, ascension and future return on the last day; the virtues of angels, patriarchs, saints and martyrs; the virtues of the natural world: the sun, fire, lightning, wind and finally various aspects of God (His wisdom, his eye, his ear, his hand). The strongly Trinitarian beginning means that the hymn is a popular choice on Trinity Sunday, and the invocations also make it appropriate for ordination services.

We can be reticent to use the language of spiritual warfare, spiritual protection and spiritual attack in our particular corner of the Anglican tradition. However, I hope in that eclectic list of invocations there is something for everyone, whether you are a person who finds spiritual strength in hagiography or who prefers the wonders of nature. Besides, who doesn’t love a mid-hymn change of melody! May you find deep spiritual strength to sustain you today and always.