I Bind Unto Myself Today

It's a rare year that has St. Patrick's falling at the start of Holy Week. Lent and Easter haven't been this early since our grandparents' day, nor will it be so early again until our grandchildrens' day. While every bar and restaurant becomes Irish for the day, drinking celebrated, shamrocks on everything including fast food shakes, it's more striking how off the mainstream my appreciation of the day has become. While I love how much the whole Irish culture is celebrated this day, and I'll be doing it m'self with friends helping me eat corned beef, colcannon, and soda bread, this heritage is something I cherish every day. Today I praise the enduring power of the prayer of St. Patrick's Breastplate.

St. Patrick's Breastplate is contained in the ancient Book of Armagh, from the early ninth century. "Breastplate" is a translation of "lorica" or protective garment, particularly armor. Metaphorically, a Lorica is a chanted "binding" prayer for protection. St. Patrick is thought to have written this prayer to strengthen himself with God's protection as he prepared to confront and convert Loegaire, high king of Ireland. The use of a binding prayer/chant shows one of many facets of how early Christianity in Ireland absorbed & changed aspects of the druid faith to it's own purpose. The legend surrounding it's use has St. Patrick & his companions appearing as deer and doe to the threatening druids, giving the prayer the alternate name "Deer's Cry."

While it is by no means the only Lorica in existence, St. Patrick's Breastplate is the best known, possibly because of being translated from the Gaelic and set to music. Though the music is somewhat difficult, changing tempos from being composed of two traditional tunes, it is beautiful. Cecil Alexander put words to music at the re­quest of H. H. Dickinson, Dean of the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle:

St. Patrick's Breastplate

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this today to me forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.