Revisiting St. Patrick

I just came across this recording of Kristyn Getty's "Holy Spirit" song today. It has a portion of St. Patrick's prayer in it. I remember my dad reading the story of Samuel Morris to me when I was a teenager. There was a prayer Samuel prayed when he was discovering the Holy Spirit; he said,

"Lord, take the earthly things from my heart and put in their place 

your Holy Spirit so that I may neither think nor speak

 anything but your Holy Spirit." 

I have this framed in my house. It is a desire I have born of....well, new birth in Christ, I guess. Especially these days, as my body ages, as we scramble to make ends meet, finish college, finish our Youth...and see the days zoom by, rolling up "like a scroll", consumed with busy-ness, I long for this Body of Death to be replaced with Christ.

Along with Samuel Morris' words, in my soul march out these words of St. 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.





I bind unto myself the Name,

The strong Name of the Trinity,

By invocation of the same,

The Three in One and One in Three.

By Whom all nature hath creation,

Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

Salvation is of Christ the Lord.



And here's the video.