“Christ be with me, Christ within me”

St. Patrick’s Breastplate

The Church celebrates the feast day of Saint Patrick on March 17. The following prayer is attributed to Saint Patrick and has a personalized inspiration for all of us who reside in our diocese placed under his protection and reliant on his intercession. 

“Christ be with me, Christ within me…

Christ before me, Christ behind 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.”

As you read this, can you place yourself in Christ? Place Him before you, behind you. Imagine Him comforting you, restoring you. What does that look like? He will come to each of us exactly as we need Him to, if we allow Him the time and place to do so. Place yourself in His heart, and place His hand on yours. From your heart, offer Him a need, desire, hope or dream for Him to touch. 

Little by little, as we allow Him to surround us and abide in us, He will become our All in All, as He did for Saint Patrick. This all-encompassing friendship with Christ that we see demonstrated in his prayer led Saint Patrick to become one of the Church’s most memorable missionaries.

Saint Patrick, patron of the Diocese of Norwich, pray for us.

Stained glass window of Saint Patrick at Saint Patrick Cathedral, Norwich.