Phil

Mar 17, 20204 min read

Prayers on St Patrick's Day

MORNING, NOON OR EVENING PRAYER FOR ST PATRICK’S DAY

Saint Patrick was born in South Wales in 387, into a family of a Roman official. Aged 16 he was kidnapped

and sold into slavery in Ireland, but managed to escape by boat back to Britain 6 years later, and from there travelled to France, to Saint Martin's monastery in Tours, and was subsequently ordained priest.

The Pope gave him the name Patricius and sent him on missionary work back to Ireland in 432. In 455 Patrick became the Primate Bishop of Ireland at Ard Macha, a place not far from the seat of the Ulster Kings. He died in March 461 A.D. The date has been disputed: some believing it to be March 8th, others March 9th.

Therefore to arrive at a conclusion, both dates were added together,

and since then the official date is March the 17th!

O Lord, open our lips;

and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

The Spirit of God be our guide

to lead us to peace and to glory.

They that wait for the Spirit shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run

and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

PSALM 139 (PART 3)

Search me out, O God, and know my heart;

lead me in the way that is everlasting.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Where shall I flee from your Presence?

Awesome are your deeds, and marvellous are your works!

O God of forgiveness, we contemplate you.....

How deep are your thoughts to me, O God,

how great is the sum of them.

Were I to count them

they are more in number than the grains of sand upon the sea-shore,

and still I would know nothing about you –

still you would hold me in the palm of your hand.

O God of forgiveness, we contemplate you.....

All: Glory to God, Source of all being,

Eternal Word and Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and shall be for ever. Amen.

Pilgrims climbing Croagh Patrick

SCRIPTURE

“Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid;

do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God

will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes,

you may be able to stand your ground,

and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

and with your feet fitted with the readiness

that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,

with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,

which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions

with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert

and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6

Prayer by Thomas Merton for trust

in God’s Providence:

I believe that the desire to please you does please you;

I hope and pray that I may have that desire in all that I am doing;

I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road;

I will trust you always, even though

I may seem lost and in the shadow

of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,and you will never leave me

to face my perils alone.

May the God of healing restore them….

For those whose lives are broken by distress May the God of healing restore them For those whose lives are broken by fear May the God of healing restore them For those whose lives are broken by anger May the God of healing restore them For those whose lives are broken by pain May the God of healing restore them For those whose lives are broken by illness May the God of healing restore them For those whose lives are broken by tragedy May the God of healing restore them

God of healing, gently touch these lives with your Spirit Bring warmth and comfort, life, wholeness and restoration into fractured lives and souls.

As we await our joyful hope in the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ,

so with Him we pray

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.