St Patrick’s Breastplate, find out all about this extraordinary prayer that can protect you day and night from evil spells and other witchcraft cast by your enemies.
History of St Patrick’s Breastplate
There are countless legends about the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, almost all of which are difficult to verify as there are no physical records, only more than 1500 years of oral tradition recorded in numerous stories. Among the legends of St Patrick are those which tell of the breastplate of St Patrick, which is a prayer for protection and exorcism from evil. St Patrick was a frequent speaker and this is one of his most famous prayers.
St. Patrick could pray for hours on end, from dawn to dusk, believing that prayer was the most effective way to obtain God’s grace and find strength for our faith. From his many prayers, which worked miracles such as providing food in the middle of a desert and keeping a fire burning despite snow falling on it, the Breastplate of St. Patrick was created as a protective prayer capable of exorcising demons.
The Breastplate of St. Patrick, attributed to the patron saint of Ireland, should be dated to the 5th century, between 377 and 463, when St. Patrick lived, however, due to the style of writing, some historians place its composition in the 7th and 8th centuries.
The Breastplate of St. Patrick is considered to be a true inspiration in the proclamation of Catholicism carried out by this saint in Ireland; for its multiple praise of the power of the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Trinity, for its protective and humanitarian overtones.
In 1903, in Dublin, Ireland, some ancient manuscripts were published called the -Liber Hymnorum- which make up a series of hymns attributed to St. Patrick, within these writings was the Breastplate of St. Patrick, but by the style of the written language its date of creation is placed between the seventh and eighth centuries, but undoubtedly the Breastplate, Armour or Lorica of St. Patrick has a deep inspiration in the work of this saint.
St Patrick’s Breastplate Complete
The Breastplate of St. Patrick is a long prayer of invocation of the powers of Our Lord Jesus Christ, able to give protection, strength, power and ward off evil spirits from our environment or that are an imminent threat, there are many versions, depending on the purpose for which they are prayed, and their durations can be short or complete. Knowing the different versions of the St. Patrick’s Breastplate gives us a valuable tool to protect us from any evil that may come our way.
Below is an excellent video of the complete St. Patrick’s Breastplate;
Meaning of the Breastplate of St. Patrick of Ireland
To pray the Breastplate of St Patrick is to cover oneself with the ever-present protection of God. It is a very old prayer, dating back to the 5th century, which invokes the powers of Jesus Christ to protect us from the dense shadows of evil spirits and Satan himself, and therefore has the style of an exorcism. It is attributed to St Patrick, who used it to protect himself from Druid sorcerers on his pilgrimages through the ancient villages of Ireland.
According to the most popular legend of St Patrick’s breastplate, he used it to make himself invisible to the eyes of some Druids who were chasing him through the Irish woods, and in other versions St Patrick’s breastplate is said to have turned him and several monks, including St Benignus, into deer, allowing them to escape from their persecutors.
Because of this amazing fact of St Patrick’s breastplate, the hymn “I bind unto myself today” was composed in his honour in the 19th century and dedicated to the Royal Chapel of Dublin Castle, as well as other famous songs and hymns dedicated to St Patrick. It is also a reference for composing versions to care for us in situations where our spiritual integrity is threatened.
Prayer for Protection and Deliverance from the Breastplate of St. Patrick
Jesus Christ, my Lord, walks with me, Jesus Christ, my Lord, is before me, Jesus Christ, my Lord, watches my back, Jesus Christ, my Lord, is within me, Jesus Christ, my Lord, lives in me, Jesus Christ, my Lord, is beneath me, Jesus Christ, my Lord, is on my right, Jesus Christ, my Lord, is on my left, Jesus Christ, my Lord, blesses me when I rise, Jesus Christ, my Lord, watches over me when I sit, Jesus Christ, my Lord, watches over my dreams. Amen.
St Patrick’s Breastplate Exorcist Prayer
Through the power of Jesus Christ, I call upon the powers of the Most High to stand between me and the evil one, to protect me from the dark forces of demons, to be my shield against vile spells, witchcraft and other sorcery, I call upon unshakable faith in our Saviour, against the false preaching of usurpers who call themselves prophets, against the evil energies that seek to defile my soul or my body.
I invoke the Breastplate of St. Patrick against the arts of pagans, magicians, dark sorcerers who wish to harm me or my loved ones, against the many temptations that the devil places before us daily, I invoke the holy purifying power of the one God, Creator of the Universe, to banish all idolatry, spells and evil energies that threaten me, mine or people of good heart, banish them from this place, today and forever, my Lord. Amen.
