St Patrick’s Day reflection: Christ with me

Yesterday was St Patrick’s day – celebrating St Patrick who first went to Ireland, aged 16, having been kidnapped by pirates. He was sold into slavery as a shepherd to an Irish prince. In his hunger and desperate situation Patrick prayed constantly. Through this he encountered God’s love and developed a strong faith and reliance on God. After 6 years God miraculously led Patrick back to Britain where he became a priest before returning to Ireland as a missionary.

Despite living over 1,500 years ago, prayers attributed to St Patrick are still prayed by Christians around the world. St Patrick’s Breastplate may be the most famous. It reminds us that Christ is completely with us, shares in our lives and invites us to share in his life, death and resurrection. Whether awake or asleep and whatever we face, Christ is present with us and all who we meet. In the face of anxiety or difficulty this is reassuring prayer. However, it is also ends as a challenging prayer. Do we encounter others as though they were Christ, giving them the respect and love we would give Christ if he appeared before us?

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

The full prayer can be found here.