The Breastplate of Saint Patrick

St Patrick's Day is tomorrow, I cooked cookies with green sprinkles last night, and a coworker threatened to pinch those not wearing green today. I protested, saying today's not the proper day to wear green, tomorrow is! (and today I happen to be wearing a gray sweater and khakis...) Now, I might see this same coworker at church tomorrow, so I really need to be sure to be wearing green then!

Below is a prayer, "The Breastplate of Saint Patrick" by the man himself, translated from Latin by Whitley Stokes in 1887. It very boldly calls on God's power to be in every aspect of his life.

I bind myself today, -
To the power of God to guide me,
The might of God to uphold me,
The wisdom of God to teach me,
The eye of God to watch over me,
The ear of God to bear me,
The Word of God to speak for me,
The hand of God to protect me,
The way of God to lie before me,
The shield of God to shelter me,
The host of God to defend me

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me,
Christ in the eye of every man that sees me,
Christ in the ear of every man who hears me -

Salvation is the Lord's,
Salvation is the Lord's,
Salvation is Christ's,
Let thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.