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Ten Catholics Things that Caught My Eye on St. Patrick’s Day 2015 (Upped to 14 around midday)

Last updated on: March 17, 2015 at 10:32 am   by
Ten Catholics Things that Caught My Eye on St. Patrick’s Day 2015 (Upped to 14 around midday) 2015-03-17T10:32:23-05:00

1. The Liturgy of the Hours today says “Saint Patrick may be commemorated.” This is New York from which I write, Saint Patrick will be commemorated.


The rector of St. Patrick’s Cathedral said after the noon Mass there Monday: We’ll have our noon and full slate of Masses tomorrow.

“There may be noise outside,” but the Sacraments continue.

(Speaking of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, I can’t believe Cardinal Egan’s funeral there was a week ago already.)

2. There are shorter and other versions of the St. Patrick breastplate prayer, but wow (as in: powerful):

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever.
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;*
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of the cherubim;
The sweet ‘well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the Prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord,
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

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,
Of Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Here, shorter:

3.

(Fr. Dan O’Reilly also appears in a St. Patrick’s Day symposium on National Review‘s website.)

4. In the Liturgy of the Hours:

From the Confession of Saint Patrick, bishop
I give unceasing thanks to my God, who kept me faithful in the day of my testing. Today I can offer him sacrifice with confidence, giving myself as a living victim to Christ, my Lord, who kept me safe through all my trials. I can say now: Who am I, Lord, and what is my calling, that you worked through me with such divine power? You did all this so that today among the Gentiles I might constantly rejoice and glorify your name wherever I may be, both in prosperity and in adversity. You did it so that, whatever happened to me, I might accept good and evil equally, always giving thanks to God. God showed me how to have faith in him for ever, as one who is never to be doubted. He answered my prayer in such a way that in the last days, ignorant though I am, I might be bold enough to take up so holy and so wonderful a task, and imitate in some degree those whom the Lord had so long ago foretold as heralds of his Gospel, bearing witness to all nations.

How did I get this wisdom, that was not mine before? I did not know the number of my days, or have knowledge of God. How did so great and salutary a gift come to me, the gift of knowing and loving God, though at the cost of homeland and family? I came to the Irish peoples to preach the Gospel and endure the taunts of unbelievers, putting up with reproaches about my earthly pilgrimage, suffering many persecutions, even bondage, and losing my birthright of freedom for the benefit of others.

If I am worthy, I am ready also to give up my life, without hesitation and most willingly, for his name. I want to spend myself in that country, even in death, if the Lord should grant me this favor. I am deeply in his debt, for he gave me the great grace that through me many peoples should be reborn in God, and then made perfect by confirmation and everywhere among them clergy ordained for a people so recently coming to believe, one people gathered by the Lord from the ends of the earth. As God had prophesied of old through the prophets: The nations shall come to you from the ends of the earth, and say: “How false are the idols made by our fathers: they are useless.” In another prophecy he said: I have set you as a light among the nations, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.

It is among that people that I want to wait for the promise made by him, who assuredly never tells a lie. He makes this promise in the Gospel: They shall come from the east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is our faith: believers are to come from the whole world.

5.

6.

7.

8. The beautiful Jennifer Hubbard writes in Magnificat today about her dear daughter, who died during the Sandy Hook massacre:

She drew them everywhere, especially for Saint Patrick’s Day, but rarely did we see one. Since her death, rainbows have graced the sky more than I ever remember. The darker the storm, the more vibrant the colors. With each rainbow he reminds me of his real and living Presence. This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you (Gn 9:12).
Before she died my instinct was to run far and fast from the storm. I never understood why one Irish blessing wished “not a path devoid of clouds, not a life on a bed of roses, nor that you should never feel pain.” Instead it sought “braveness in times of trials, hope when there is little, and in every hour of joy and pain you feel God close.” Despite my lack of understanding then, this blessing is now my prayer.
I pray that when I want to run I stand firm. For, blessed is the man who perseveres in temptation, for when he has been proved he will receive the crown of life that he promised to those who love him (Jas 1:12). When a storm approaches, I pray I march straight through it into his open arms. I pray I remember that the miracle comes after the storm.
I watch the children sprint across the field, drawing everyone’s eyes up to the sky. Vibrant colors have again replaced the storm clouds I stand in awe and bow my head in thanksgiving for answered prayers.

(Do your soul a favor and subscribe here. It’s such a resource for habits of holiness.)

9.

10.

And little more #homilytweet -ing:

11. PLUS (#homilytweet-fest?):

12. From Fr. Roger Landry: Growing in Baptismal Faith and Grace along with St. Patrick.

13.

14.

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