March 17th - St. Patrick

[Stone]

The ‘Lorica’ Breastplate of St. Patrick
Complete ‘ancient’ version

I BIND to myself to-day
The strong power of an invocation of the Trinity,
The faith of the Trinity in Unity,
The Creator of the elements.

I bind to myself to-day
The power of the Incarnation of Christ with that of His Baptism,
The power of the Crucifixion, with that of His Burial,
The power of the Resurrection with the Ascension,
The power of the coming to the sentence of Judgment.

I bind to myself to-day
The power of the love of Seraphim,
In the obedience of Angels,
In the hope of Resurrection unto reward,
In the prayers of the noble Fathers,
In the predictions of the Prophets,
In the preaching of Apostles,
In the faith of Confessors,
In the purity of holy Virgins,
In the acts of Righteous men.

I bind to myself to-day
The power of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The whiteness of snow,
The force of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The velocity of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The hardness of rocks.

I bind to myself to-day
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 hear me,
The word of God to give me speech,
The hand of God to protect me,
The way of God to prevent me,
The shield of God to shelter me,
The host of God to defend me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the temptations of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against every man who meditates injury to me.
Whether far or near,
With few or with many.

I have set around me all these powers
Against every hostile savage power,
Directed against my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women and smiths and druids,
Against all knowledge which blinds the soul of man.

Christ protect me to-day
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

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 the fort,* Christ in the chariot-seat,*
Christ in the mighty stern.*
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself to-day
The strong power of an invocation of the Trinity,
The faith of the Trinity in Unity,
The Creator of the elements.

Salvation is of the Lord, Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of Christ,
May Thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
Amen.

(*More accurately: Christ here / there / behind; Source: Scribd.com)

Lorica Sancti Patricii
S. Patricii hymnus

AD temoriam hodie
Potentiam præpollentem invoco Trinitatis,
Credo in Trinitatem sub unitate
Numinis elementorum.
Apud Temoriam hodie
Virtutem nativitatis Christi cum ea ejus baptismi,
Virtutem crucifixionis cum ea ejus sepulturæ,
Virtutem resurrectionis cum ea ascensionis,
Virtutem adventus ad judicium æternum.
Apud Temoriam hodie
Virtutem amoris Seraphim
In obsequio angelorum,
In spe resurrectionis ad adipiscendum præmium.
In orationibus nobilium Patrum,
In prædictionibus prophetarum,
In prædicationibus apostolorum,
In fide confessorum,
In castitate sanctarum virginum,
In actis justorum virorum.

Apud Temoriam hodie
Potentiam cœli,
Lucem solis,
Candorem nivis,
Vim ignis,
Rapiditatem fulguris,
Velocitatem venti,
Profunditatem maris,
Stabilitatem terræ,
Duritiam petrarum.

Ad Temoriam hodie
Potentia Dei me dirigat,
Potestas Dei me conservet,
Sapientia Dei me edoceat,
Oculus Dei mihi provideat,
Auris Dei me exaudiat,
Verbum Dei me disertum faciat,
Manus Dei me protegat,
Via Dei mihi patefiat,
Scutum Dei me protegat,
Exercitus Dei me defendat,
Contra insidias dæmonum,
Contra illecebras vitiorum,
Contra inclinationes animi,
Contra omnem hominem qui meditetur injuriam mihi,
Procul et prope,
Cum paucis et cum multis.
Posui circa me sane omnes potentias has
Contra omnem potentiam hostilem sævam
Excogitatam meo corpori et meæ animæ ;
Contra incantamenta pseudo-vatum,
Contra nigras leges gentilitatis,
Contra pseudo-leges hæreseos,
Contra dolum idololatriæ,
Contra incantamenta mulierum, et fabrorum ferrariorum et druidum,
Contra omnem scientiam quæ occæcat animum hominis.

Christus me protegat hodie
Contra venenum, contra combustionem,
Contra demersionem, contra vulnera,
Donec meritus essem multum præmii.

Christus mecum, Christus ante me,
Christus me pone, Christus in me,
Christus infra me, Christus supra me,
Christus ad dextram meam, Christus ad lævam meam,
Christus hine,
Christus illine,
Christus a tergo.
Christus in corde omnis hominis quem alloquar,
Christus in ore cujusvis qui me alloquatur,
Christus in omni oculo qui me videat,
Christus in omni aure quæ me audiat.

Ad Temoriam hodie
Potentiam præpollentem invoco Trinitatis.
Credo in Trinitatem sub Unitate
Numinis elementorum.

Domini est salus, Domini est salus,
Christi est salus,
Salus tua, Domine, sit semper nobiscum.
Amen.