Justin Appel
Dear Friends in Christ,
Today is the feast of Saint Patrick, fourth-century bishop and ‘Apostle of Ireland’.
On this morning, it seems appropriate to briefly discuss the prayer or ‘Lorica’ that bears his name. It’s possible that this prayer comes from a later century, but the title, Faeth Fiada (Middle Irish for ‘Deer’s Cry’ or alternatively, as a ‘Spell of Concealment’ -- so says the editor of The Irish Liber hymnorum) points to an episode in the life of Saint Patrick. In the story, Patrick and his monks used the prayer to protect themselves from Loegair, the High King of Ireland, who had set up an ambush to catch Patrick. As the story goes, the monks passed by the ambushers in safety, appearing as wild deer.
Frederica Mathews Green, in her thoughtful introduction to the Lorica (St. Patrick’s Breastplate, The Orthodox Monastery of All Celtic Saints) notes that this prayer feels unusual to us, most likely because it doesn’t contain requests, only statements, reading like something between a confession of faith and an incantation against demonic powers. She suggests that this uniquely declamatory prayer seems irrelevant because we live lives of ease, comfort, and safety. And yet, if we are honest, disaster is still at the door, and suffering and pain still functions, as C. S. Lewis put it, as ‘God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world’ (The Problem of Pain, 1940). We still depend fully on God’s mercy, even if we are unaware of our need.
Through this prayer, we can actively take hold of God’s presence and trust in his protection, affirming our status as children of God. Perhaps, in light of the present pandemic, such a prayer might find new meaning for us?
Yours in Christ,
Justin
The following literal translation by James Henthorn Todd was published in 1864:
1. I bind to myself to-day,
The strong power of the invocation of the Trinity:
The faith of the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the elements.
2. I bind to myself to-day,
The power of the Incarnation of Christ, with that of his Baptism,
The power of the Crucifixion with that of his Burial,
The power of the Resurrection, with the Ascension,
The power of the coming of the Sentence of Judgement.
3. I bind to myself to-day,
The power of the love of Seraphim,
In the obedience of Angels,
(In the service of Archangels,)
In the hope of Resurrection unto reward,
In the prayers of the noble Fathers,
In the predictions of the Prophets,
In the preaching of Apostles,
In the faith of Confessors,
In purity of Holy Virgins,
In the acts of Righteous Men.
4. I bind to myself to-day,
The power of Heaven,
The light of the Sun,
(The whiteness of Snow,)
The force of Fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The velocity of Wind,
The depth of the Sea,
The stability of the Earth,
The hardness of Rocks.
5. I bind to myself to-day,
The Power of God to guide me,
The Might of God to uphold me,
The Wisdom of God to teach me,
The Eye of God to watch over me,
The Ear of God to hear me,
The Word of God to give me speech,
The Hand of God to protect me,
The Way of God to prevent me,
The Shield of God to shelter me,
The Host of God to defend me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the temptations of vices,
Against the (lusts) of nature,
Against every man who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
With few or with many.
6. I have set around me all these powers,
Against every hostile savage power
Directed against my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths and druids,
Against all knowledge that binds the soul of man.
7. Christ, protect me to-day
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.
8. Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
(Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot-seat,
Christ in the mighty stern.)
9. Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me,
Christ in the eye of every man that sees me,
Christ in the ear of every man that hears me.
10. I bind to myself to-day,
The strong power of an invocation of the Trinity,
The faith of the Trinity in Unity
The Creator of the Elements.
(Salvation is the Lord's
Salvation is the Lord's
Salvation is Christ's
May thy salvation, Lord, be always with us!
Amen.)
Also, if you've read to this point, congratulations! Here's a setting of the eighth and ninth stanzas by Arvo Pärt: The Deer's Cry.