Ah, St. Patrick, Steadfast and Unchanging Man, Pray for Us!

The whole story of St. Patrick is exciting. I highly recommend reading more about him. When I think of St. Patrick being kidnapped, I shudder. And how many of us shudder when we here of the abductions of children in the streets of today? If you have any of those “motherly” fears, pray to St. Patrick.  He most assuredly will protect our children.

These following Gaelic prayers are beautiful and you may want to adopt one or two. Or just light your green candle and say them on St. Patrick’s Day which could be the beginning of a meaningful custom in your home.

Also, here is an audio from Regina Martyrum Productions about St. Patrick. My kids grew up listening to this and are very familiar with his story because of it. Well worth the investment.

The Year and Our Children by Mary Reed Newland

The feast of St. Patrick as popularly celebrated is badly in need of surgery. In an attempt to rid the occasion of indignities and restore to this saint some of his due, we have had recourse to the Confession of St. Patrick, an inspiring read-aloud for this night.

It has been called by Oliver St. John Gogarty, in his I Follow St. Patrick, “the oldest and perhaps the most important document in British history.”

**Here I will interject and include a link to get this document. Mrs. Newland condenses it in her book but it is too long to include here.

Confession of St. Patrick

Here are some beautiful Gaelic Prayers that can be said in honor  of The Feast of St. Patrick.

Some Gaelic Prayers

As soon as we discovered “The Prayers of the Gael,” a small volume of Irish prayers, we set about learning some.

They are marvelously suited to children – and, of course, to grown-ups.

Here is one to try for a change from your usual Grace before Meals:

BLESSING OF FOOD BEFORE MEALS

May the blessing of five loaves and two fishes which God divided among the five thousand men, be ours; and may the King who made the division put luck on our food and on our portion. Amen.

 And here is a prayer for the family to help them keep a sanctified Sunday. It is a lovely prayer to say in the car on the way to Mass:

PRAYER FOR SUNDAY

A thousand welcomes to thee, Blessed Sunday,

Now coming to help us after the week:

My feet guide early to holy Mass,

Part my lips with blessed words,

Out of my heart banish wicked thoughts,

That I may look upon the Son of the Nurse.

Since it was the Son of God who bought us,

I rely for my soul’s protection on Thee, 0 Jesus,

May God establish Thee within my heart,

Mayst Thou clear the stain and soil of sin from me

And fill mine eyes with tears of repentance. Amen.

Here is another to be said by all together in the kitchen in the morning, before setting off to work or school:

 PRAYER FOR THE DAY

The grace of God and the blessing of Patrick

On all I see and all I undertake,

From the time I arise in the morning

Till I go to sleep at night. Amen.

And this beautiful one for going to bed. First for the children, and later for the mothers and fathers:

PRAYER ON LYING DOWN

May I lie down with God and may God lie down with me,

May I not lie with evil, nor evil lie with me.

Brigid’s girdle around me, Mary’s mantle beneath me;

0 Blessed Michael, hold my hand,

And make my peace with the Son of Grace.

If any evil thing pursue me, May the Son of God protect me

For a year from this night, And this night itself, and ever, And always. Amen.

There are many more, too many to include here. Best of all, for us, is the ancient St.

Patrick’s Lorica, or Corslet, or, as it is more commonly called, “The Breastplate of St. Patrick.”

We have used this for our family prayer on his feast day, with a grown-up reading one line and the family repeating it, then another line read and repeated.

Carefully and distinctly recited, with a thought for what each line means, it is one of the most magnificent prayers in all the world. (We use it on other days, too.)

The entire prayer is longer than this, but this excerpt is quite enough to tear your heart.

THE BREASTPLATE OF ST. PATRICK

I rise up today Thro’ a mighty strength,

Thro’ my invocation of the Trinity,

Thro’ my belief in Its threeness,

Thro’ my avowal of Its oneness To the only Creator… . I arise today,

God’s strength guiding me, God’s might sustaining me,

God’s wisdom directing me, God’s eye looking before me,

God’s ear listening to me, God’s word speaking for me,

God’s hand protecting me: The way of God stretching out before me,

The shield of God as my shelter, The hosts of God guarding me against the snares of the demons,

Against the temptings of my evil desire,

Against the evil inclination of my will,

Against everyone who plots against me,

Anear or afar, alone or in a multitude… . Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ after me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ at my right hand, Christ at my left hand,

Christ in my breadth, Christ in my length,

Christ in my height, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,

Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me… .

As a last treat, there is this marvelous bit from Mr. Gogarty’s I Follow St. Patrick to be read aloud.

First teach your children the Latin words Gratias agamus, meaning “Let us give thanks.” He was a “steadfast and unchanging man.”

That is the verdict of a contemporary witness – and the same a king – on him.

The story arises from the fact that the Saint had set his heart on founding what was to be the headquarters of all his church organization on the Height of Macha, the present Armagh.

Not far from his own dwelling at the eastern foot of the hill, King Daire granted him a little holding, on which a circular space was marked out one hundred and forty feet in diameter, and ramparted round with an earthen wall.

Within were erected a Great House, a kitchen, and a little oratory, according to what seems to have been the plan of the primitive establishments of the Saint and his company.

But the Saint wanted the site of what was to be his chief ecclesiastical city on the heights. At first the King refused to grant a space on the summit.

He fell ill, but was restored to health by holy water which the Saint had blessed.

Then the King paid a visit to the lowly settlement and presented the Saint with a bronze cauldron brought from over the sea.

“Gratias agamus,” said the Bishop; but he said it rapidly (a man of his temperament must have spoken rapidly), in the Latin of the colonies, and it sounded in the way it has been preserved for us phonetically, “Gratzacham.”

This was not enough for Daire.

His three-gallon cauldron acknowledged by but one word, and that unintelligible!

He sent his servants to bring back that which the Bishop apparently could not appreciate. And these reported that all the Saint said as it was being taken away was “Gratzacham.”

“What?” said the King, “Gratzacham? He said that when it was being given, and he says it when it is being taken. It is a strong spell that is used for getting and losing. I will give him back his cauldron.”

And the King came with it and presented it in person: “Keep the cauldron, for you are a steadfast and unchanging man.”

And he gave him the land which was his heart’s desire.

Ah, St. Patrick, steadfast and unchanging man, pray for us!

Coloring pages for your children….

Come and join me as I pray the St. Patrick’s Breastplate, also known as the Lorica of St. Patrick…an amazing power of protection. St. Patrick wrote it in 433 A.D. for divine protection before successfully converting the Irish King Leoghaire and his subjects from paganism to Christianity. (The term breastplate refers to a piece of armor worn in battle.) I say this prayer often for the protection of all my loved ones!

Beautiful St Patrick and St Bridget Wire Wrapped Rosary! Lovely, Durable. Each link is handmade and wrapped around itself to ensure quality. Available here.

Saint Patrick Graceful Religious Pendant and Earring Set…Wire-Wrapped, Handcrafted. Get it blessed and wear it as a sacramental. Available here.

A masterpiece that combines the visions of four great Catholic mystics into one coherent story on the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Based primarily on the famous revelations of Ven. Anne Catherine Emmerich and Ven. Mary of Agreda, it also includes many episodes described in the writings of St. Bridget of Sweden and St. Elizabeth of Schenau. To read this book, therefore, is to share in the magnificent visions granted to four of the most priviledged souls in the history of the Church.

In complete harmony with the Gospel story, this book reads like a masterfully written novel. It includes such fascinating details as the birth and infancy of Mary, her espousal to St. Joseph and her Assumption into Heaven where she was crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

For young and old alike, The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics will forever impress the reader with an inspiring and truly unforgettable understanding of the otherwise unknown facts concerning Mary and the Holy Family. Imprimatur.

He was called the man of his age, the voice of his century. His influence towered above that of his contemporaries, and his sanctity moved God himself. Men flocked to him–some in wonder, others in curiosity, but all drawn by the magnetism of his spiritual gianthood. Bernard of Clairvaux–who or what fashioned him to be suitable for his role of counseling Popes, healing schisms, battling errors and filling the world with holy religious and profound spiritual doctrine? Undoubtedly, Bernard is the product of God’s grace. But it is hard to say whether this grace is more evident in Bernard himself or in the extraordinary family in which God choose to situate this dynamic personality. This book is the fascinating account of a family that took seriously the challenge to follow Christ… and to overtake Him. With warmth and realism, Venerable Tescelin, Blesseds Alice, Guy, Gerard, Humbeline, Andrew, Bartholomew, Nivard and St. Bernard step off these pages with the engaging naturalness that atttacks imitation. Here is a book that makes centuries disappear, as each member of this unique family becomes an inspiration in our own quest of overtaking Christ.

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