Saint Patrick's BreastplateSampel

"God's host to secure me"

Start by praying the whole prayer and then reread today’s section.

God's host to secure me –
against snares of devils,
against temptations and vices,
against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and anear,
alone and in a crowd...

The prayer continues by naming some of the ‘ills’ which we need protection from. There is strength to be found from focusing on the positives and remembering that God is with us. There is also wisdom in acknowledging what lies ahead. 

This is the method adopted by NASA when undertaking a space mission. Focus on everything that can go wrong and work out a solution for it. Saint Patrick’s Breastplate reminds us of the stones on our daily path. By naming them we both hand them over to God to seek his protection and also draw them to our own attention to prepare our hearts and minds for the journey ahead.

Read Saint Paul writing words of encouragement to the Roman Christians. He encourages them and us that our trials and tribulations bring about perseverance and this, in turn, can bring about hope. 

It is the struggles in our lives that form our character. When we pray for God’s protection, he doesn’t remove things from our path, rather, he fills us with his spirit so that we can overcome them and thus become strong.

Reread this section of the Breastplate bearing in mind the words from Saint Paul that the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.