Lenten Reflection
A Prayer of Saint Patrick
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.
One way to find common ground with another person is to examine their prayers, and this is true of St. Patrick. Although Patrick lived long ago, in the fifth century, his prayer can help us to understand and appreciate him.
For a person captured at age 16 from his home in Wales after rejecting Christ as a youth, how helpful it would it be to pray:
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me.
For a person forced to work as a slave in Ireland, how helpful it would be to pray:
Christ to comfort and restore me.
For a person committed to return to the mission field in Ireland after escaping and being reunited with his family, how helpful it would be to pray: 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.
As we gain appreciation for St. Patrick’s prayer in helping him to overcome the challenges he faced, we can discover its’ relevance and value in helping us to lift up our needs and challenges to God. May the Prayer of St. Patrick be a blessing to each of us on this holy day.
Submitted by David Hill