Invocation Prayer of St. Patrick

Lord,

We bind unto ourselves today
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.

We bind ourselves to you for ever,
By power of faith in Christ’s Incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan River;
His death on cross for our salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;
We bind ourselves to you today.

We bind unto ourselves the virtue
Of the great love of the angels;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour;
The service of the Seraphim,
the Confessors’ faith, the Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the Prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord,
And purity of righteous souls.

We bind unto ourselves today
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at evening,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.

We bind unto ourselves today
Your power to hold and lead,
Your eye to watch, Your might to stay,
Your ear to hearken to our every need.
The wisdom of our God to teach,
Your hand to guide, your shield to ward,
Your word to give us speech,
Your heavenly host to be our guard
Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar our course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours
Against their fierce hostility,
We bind to us your holy protection.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death-wound and the burning
The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,
Protect us, Christ, till your returning.

Christ be with us, Christ within us,
Christ behind us, Christ before us,
Christ beside us, Christ to win us,
Christ to comfort and restore us,
Christ beneath us, Christ above us,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love us,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

We bind unto ourselves the name,
The strong name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One, and One in Three,
Of whom all nature has creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of our salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.