16 March 2010

"The Deer's Cry" by Saint Patrick

As you iron your favorite green shirt and polish up your "Kiss Me I'm Irish" pin, may these resources and this poem by Patrick remind you of his central passion.

Resources
Reading
St. Patrick: One of the greatest missionaries who ever lived - from TheResurgence (great summary!)
The Confession of St. Patrick - his most famous work available at CCEL

Film
St. Patrick - The Apostle of Ireland
Patrick - 2004 docudrama narrated by Liam Neeson
THE DEER'S CRY
I arise to-day Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the threeness, Through confession of the oneness Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise to-day
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism, Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial, Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension, Through the strength of His descent for the judgement of Doom.

I arise to-day
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim, In obedience of angels, In the service of archangels, In hope of resurrection to meet with reward, In prayers of patriarchs, In predictions of prophets, In preachings of apostles, In faiths of confessors, In innocence of holy virgins, In deeds of righteous men.

I arise to-day
Through the strength of heaven: Light of sun, Radiance of moon, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea, Stability of earth, Firmness of rock.

I arise to-day
Through God's strength to pilot me: God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me, God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me, God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me, God's host to save me From snares of devils, From temptations of vices, From every one who shall wish me ill, Afar and anear, Alone and in multitude.

I summon to-day all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul, Against incantations of false prophets, Against black laws of pagandom, Against false laws of heretics, Against craft of idolatry, Against spells of women and smiths and wizards, Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me to-day
Against poison, against burning Against drowning, against wounding, So that there may come to me abundance of reward. 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 one who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise to-day Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the threeness, Through confession of the oneness Of the Creator of the Creation.
SAINT PATRICK (c. 390 - c. 461)
Translators: Whitley Stokes, John Strachan, Kuno Meyer
Take from "The One-Year Book of Poetry"

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous7:44 PM

    Wow O'Driscoll's blog has some interesting stuff that I think he went into detail just so his congregation would keep paying attention. Haha, but that's tight because he was kind of like a pre-reformer before the Reformation to get to the people of Ireland before those with false doctrine could convert them to what they believed as Christianity... Cool.

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