This is the most-remembered section of St. Patrick’s Breastplate, an 8th-century Irish prayer invoking Christ’s presence in every dimension of life. Pray it when you need to feel surrounded, when anxiety crowds in, or when you rise and want to begin the day clothed in Christ.
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 every man who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Salvation is of the Lord, salvation is of the Lord, salvation is of Christ; may thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
Attributed to St. Patrick, 8th century ‘Lorica’
How this prayer works
The prayer maps Christ onto every spatial direction and every moment of daily movement. It asks for nothing except His presence, which is itself the protection. The word lorica means breastplate in Latin; Irish monks called this prayer a lorica because it functioned as spiritual armor, girding the soul against demonic attack and physical danger.
The prayer likely dates to the 8th century, written in Old Irish and later attributed to St. Patrick as part of the legend that he prayed it while walking past ambushing enemies disguised as deer. It reflects the Celtic Christian imagination that saw the world charged with both spiritual threat and divine nearness.
Pray it slowly before you leave the house, or silently while you walk to work. Pray it in bed before sleep, naming each direction as you settle. The rhythm is incantatory; let the repetition do its work. Carry it through this morning.
