A PRAYER FOR DIVINE PROTECTION

Below you’ll find two popular versions of The Breastplate of Saint Patrick, also known as the Lorica:

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity;
Through a belief in the Threeness;
Through confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth and his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion and his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection and his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In preachings of the apostles,
In faiths of confessors,
In innocence of virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock. I arise today
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 hosts to save me
From snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,
Against every cruel merciless power that opposes 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 shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that reward may come to me in abundance.

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 in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me. I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity;
Through a belief in the Threeness;
Through a confession of the Oneness
Of the Creator of creation.

TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC BREASTPLATE OF SAINT PATRICK

I.
I bind to myself today
The strong power of an invocation of the Trinity,
The faith of the Trinity in Unity
The Creator of the Universe.
II.
I bind to myself today
The might of the Incarnation of Christ
with that of His Baptism,
The might of His Crucifixion with that of His Burial, The might of His Resurrection with that of His Ascension, The might of His Coming on the Judgment Day.
III.
I bind to myself today
The power in the love of the Seraphim,
In the obedience of the Angels,
In the ministration of the Archangels,
In the hope of Resurrection unto reward,
In the prayers of the Patriarchs,
In the predictions of the Prophets,
In the preaching of the Apostles,
In the faith of the Confessors,
In the purity of the holy Virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.
IV.
I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The brightness of the Sun,
The whiteness of Snow,
The splendor of Fire,
The speed of Lightning,
The swiftness of the Wind,
The depth of the Sea,
The stability of the Earth,
The firmness of Rocks.
V.
I bind to myself today
God’s Power 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 shelter me,
God’s Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.
VI.
I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail 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 every knowledge that blinds the soul of man.
VII.
Christ protect me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
That I may receive abundant reward.
VIII.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ when lying down, Christ in sitting,
Christ in rising up.
IX.
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
X.
I bind to myself today
The strong power of an invocation of the Trinity,
The faith of the Trinity in Unity
The Creator of the Universe.
XI.
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of Christ;
May Your salvation, 0 Lord, be with us forever.

–The Lorica is an ancient Gaelic prayer attributed to Saint Patrick, c. 377. In the original, all verses were in Gaelic except the last one, which was in Latin. There are various translations.