A beautiful, daily prayer for our children..

HT: The image is the front cover of the book, "St Patrick's Breastplate by Alf McCreary

and a famous one too.... "The Breastplate of St. Patrick" also known as "The Lorica" or "The Deer's Cry."

This powerful prayer was composed by Saint Patrick in the year 433. He was aware that there was an ambush to try to kill him and his group en route to the King's court. It was during the march that they chanted the sacred Lorica or Deer's Cry - later known as St. Patrick's Breastplate. A Lorica was Breastplate armour. A breastplate prayer was therefore considered the putting on of spiritual armour. As the druids lay in hiding, ready to kill, they saw not Patrick and his men, but a gentle doe followed by twenty fawns. St. Patrick and his men were saved.

The full prayer incorporates all the elements of Catholic morning prayer: It is an Act of Faith (expressing the Catholic teaching on the Trinity and on Christ); an Act of Hope (in God's protection throughout the day and throughout life, as well as in eternal eternal salvation); and an Act of Charity (in the love expressed for God).

It is, therefore, an ideal morning prayer.

It is also a deliverance prayer, calling upon God for protection against the evil one.

I am very grateful for this prayer and I am in awe of the words and what it means, it certainly is a perfect prayer for mothers to recite each day for each child, or at the very least, for the child most in need.

It is also a beautiful prayer to teach children, so that they can add it to their morning prayers, that they place the spiritual breastplate upon themselves at the beginning of each day.

Here is the prayer:

St.Patrick's Breastplate

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 today to me forever

By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;

His baptism in Jordan river,

His death on Cross for my salvation;

His bursting from the spiced 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 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 star lit 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, 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.

By Whom all nature hath creation,

Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

Praise to the Lord of my salvation,

Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

And this is how I have altered it when reciting it for one of my children:

St.Patrick's Breastplate

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

I bind this today to Annuncia forever
By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for her salvation;
His bursting from the spiced tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto Annuncia today.

I bind unto Annuncia the power
Of the great love of 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 Annuncia today
The virtues of the star lit 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 Annuncia today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to her need.
The wisdom of her God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give her speech,
His heavenly host to be her guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar her course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I bind to Annunica 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, the poisoned shaft,
Protect her, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with Annuncia, Christ within Annuncia,
Christ behind Annuncia, Christ before Annuncia,
Christ beside Annuncia, Christ to win Annuncia,
Christ to comfort and restore Annuncia.
Christ beneath Annuncia, Christ above Annuncia,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love her,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto Annunica 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 her salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.