St. Patrick has been called a “Christian druid, a man of both faith and magic,” by author Thomas Cahill. In his book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, we see Patricius, a Romanized Briton of the 5th century, who was kidnapped at 15 and enslaved by the early Irish. He ended up bringing peace and order to the wild western island in a time when Europe was devolving into chaos after the fall of Rome. St. Patrick’s Breastplate shows us how to live each day within our own highest Truth.
I am preparing to lead a tour group to ancient sites in beautiful Ireland, so I am doing my customary research prior to leaving. (Incidentally, there are a couple of spots still open on this tour.) St. Patrick’s ministry is a wonderful melding of early Christianity with the local beliefs and customs of early Ireland. In a time when “Christian” was quite synonymous with “Roman” in most of the world, the Christianity that Patrick taught was non-hierarchical, non-rule bound, and characterized by love and a personal relationship with Jesus that was so palpable that it seemed magical. At the edge of civilized Europe, Patrick’s spiritual world-view took on an earthy and intimate feeling, which was very different from Christianity in any other place.
A prayer of St. Patrick that has come down to us as his Breastplate, shows the simple power of a daily affirmative statement to organize our perception and our life. The illustration below is one of several stanzas of this prayer. It is called the Lorica of St Patrick. A lorica is a protective shell or a piece of Roman armor… a breastplate. All analogies point to the ideas of the poem/ prayer as being strengthening and protective. Here is my favorite stanza:
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven,
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightening,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven,
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightening,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
How would you like to arise? What would you call to you each day? Does “I arise with the glory of divine life in me,” sound right to you? What about: “I arise with my purpose clear before me”? Or, “I arise in the heart-filling love of my family”? What would your breastplate say to move you into your day with joy and divine power? In this month of great light, ponder the greatest statements that could guide your day. Create your own breastplate and speak it into each morning.
July Ritual of Freedom
July Ritual of Freedom
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