words borrowed from Saint Patrick

Prayer for the Faithful

May the Strength of God guide us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Angels of God guard us.
- Against the snares of the evil one.

May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!

May Thy Grace, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and forevermore. Amen.
-Saint Patrick

photo courtesy of Luca Sbordone

If you follow me on Pinterest, you may have noticed my (random?) obsession with Ireland. It is only natural, then, that I should have looked up some information on who this man was who has inspired a day dedicated to shamrocks, leprechauns, and the color green.

St. Patrick was born in 390 A.D. to a wealthy Christian family in Britain. However, at 16, he was kidnapped and sent to Ireland to tend sheep as a slave. He escaped after seven years back to Britain, but after being ordained as a priest, he felt called to return to Ireland. 

At that time, human and animal sacrifices, spiritism, and black magic were common throughout Ireland, and Christianity was unknown. St. Patrick established hundreds of churches and baptized thousands of people by the time of his death around 460 A.D.

This is by no means the full story, and there are many myths and legends surrounding St. Patrick that make his history a bit foggy. I pulled the above information from Will the Real St. Patrick Please Stand Up? and this National Geographic article. The prayer is listed on multiple websites.