Dierdre

Yesterday, we spoke of St. Patrick's prayer, known as the Lorica (St. Patrick's Breastplate).  St. Patrick lived in the 5th century and although the words of his prayer were recited for centuries, it appears that it did not become a hymn until around the late 1800's .  There is a bridge, an interlude before the last stanza of the hymn, sung to a tune called Dierdre.  The words are precious....


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.

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For to me to live is Christ... [Philippians 1:21]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlZhCmMuGrQ

 

St. Patrick's Breastplate

St. Patrick's day is two months past, yet I found myself singing his words this morning....

Poor St. Patrick.  His legacy has been reduced to a March holiday filled with rowdy celebrations attended by those intent upon drinking green beer.  Nobody seems to realize that this apostle to the Irish was actually from Wales, nor that he used the clover leaf to help explain the mystery of the Trinity. Only recently have I found this most beautiful prayer penned by St. Patrick, showing the true spirit of the man, entitled I Bind Unto Myself Today.  Here is the fourth stanza:

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.

This prayer is called "St. Patrick's Breastplate" because of those parts of it that seek God's protection. It is also known as "The Deer's Cry" or "The Lorica."  It is said that Celtic monks chose to memorize and pray this prayer in the morning, upon awakening.  (www.prayerfoundation.org)  

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"...and having on the breastplate of righteousness..." [Ephesians 6:14b]

  

Learning the Hard Way

For some reason, most of us learn the hard way.  We tend not to ask for advice or to listen to those more experienced voices.  We think that we know what's best for our own situation, and then, we proceed to make a mess of that very situation. 

Once we are stuck and struggling to get free, than we just might begin to seek wisdom.  The scriptures are full of it, ready for our tear-filled eyes.  As we listen and learn, God creates a path through the current wilderness.  If we refuse to listen, we continue to wander in circles.

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"It is good for me that I have been in trouble, that I may learn thy statutes." [Psalm 119:71]

Daily Manna

Every single morning, the Israelites had to go out and gather manna; "angels' food" it was called.  If they tried to save some overnight to use the next day, it was no longer edible.  Yet, every morning, there was a fresh supply ready...ready for those who took the time to gather it.

Every single morning, there is spiritual food waiting for us.  It is placed there by God; all we have to do is gather it.  Taking even just 5-10 minutes each morning to collect our spiritual manna can be enough to sustain us throughout the day.  If we rely on yesterday's supply, it will be stale and we'll have hungry spirits. 

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Human beings ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. [Psalm 78:25]

King David's Parents

"From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family." (I Sam. 18:2)  I'm sure that David's parents were happy that he was being used of God in the king's court.  I'm also certain that they deeply grieved the absence of their youngest child.

Years later, David made sure his parents were provided for.  "'Let my father and my mother, I pray you, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.' And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelled with him all the while that David was in the hold."    (I Samuel 22:3,4)

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 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [Jeremiah 29:11]

Prayer of St. Francis

The following prayer is a favorite of mine and is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, whom the new pope is emulating.  Here is a link to what Wikipedia says about it. 
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Saint_Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

 

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Charity suffereth long...is kind... is not puffed up...seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil...  [I Corinthians 13:4,5]

God's Solution

Sometimes there's a situation with no easy solution.  It's messy.  We justify our imperfect responses to an imperfect situation.  We try to fix our problem, either by running away or by forcing change of some kind.

What happens if we stay put and give it to God, with much prayer?  "The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me." (Psalm 1820)  This means doing the right thing. The right thing is not easy and it defies our human nature, which wants to justify our wrong responses of anger, revenge, hate, depair, self-pity, confoundedness and selfishness.

God's solution can take a long time to arrive, but it's worth the wait. In the meantime, do the right thing and pray.

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"He brought me forth to a place of liberty." [Psalm 18:19]