A Modern Reworking of St. Patrick’s Breastplate

St. Patrick's Cathedral - Dublin

St. Patrick’s Lorica, more commonly referred to as St. Patrick’s Breastplate, is an ancient Christian incantation  attributed to Patrick of Ireland, the  Romano-British missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland in the second half of the 5th century. As they are prone to do, scholars debate whether the historical Patrick actually wrote the Breastplate with some dating its creation to the 8th century.

Patrick would become the country’s most famous patron saint. In popular folklore, he taught the pagan Irish about the Trinity with a shamrock, grew trees from his walking stick, and magically banished snakes from Ireland. The date of Saint Patrick’s death became a widely celebrated holiday, a day of Irish pride, and occasion for drinking beer with unhealthy amounts of green dye.

St. Patrick’s Breastplate has found its way into Christian practice in a variety of shapes and forms. A number of translations can be found with a quick internet search.  In some, portions of the Lorica that are incomprehensible, or even offensive to some today, are left out without mention.

What follows isn’t an attempt to faithfully transcribe the author’s original intent. Some of that is lost to the ages and most certainly burdened with the baggage of primitive belief and druidic superstition. Instead, while seeking to be appropriately referential (and reverential), this reworking seeks to provide a prayer that can be understood within a modern context. I hope you find it helpful.

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