The Prayer of St. Patrick: Christ be with me, Christ within me
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -Matthew 28:20
The whole Bible is essentially "God with us." It is full of stories of how God was with His children, from the children of Israel to his pouring out wrath and judgement in the prophetic books. Then Emmanuel came, God with us. Jesus, fully God, and fully man stepped off His throne and lowered himself to our level; He came to us. Jesus is referred to as The Light, because He is our light. If you read John 1:1-14, this passage of scripture describes and explains Jesus as the light that surrounds us, and is among us. The light is Salvation, we are asking God to dwell within us and be with us. We know that God is with is when peace reigns, and when God is with is our knowing is certain. "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10
When we are in His presence, He is with us. For the Christian that is all the time. Our Father never leaves. However, song, like prayer, brings us into His presence. The Spirit prays over us (Romans 8:26), but the Spirit also sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17).
Christ is within us. "For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’" We experience this when we "feed" on his word; the Word is our spiritual bread of life. Even in the Lord's Supper we "take eat of His body that was broken for us, and drink His blood that was spilled for us. The core truth in this line of St. Patrick's prayer is that our God is a God who enters into the created order and inhabits it-who does not simply act upon us from above or afar but dwells at the heart of things, in the hearts of the very people who fail and forsake Him. However, we are reassured that what is at work within us us not limited to our imagination or control, but only inhabits us when we are willing vessels. My heart and flesh may fail, but MY GOD NEVER FAILS!
St. Patrick's prayer both reminds and invites to turn our attention and bring our intentions to the Christ within us: Christ, who renews my life with every breath, who offers me direction when I quiet my mind, who empowers me to act despite my shortcomings. The Christ who comforts and fills up every dark space with His light.
Christ be with me, Christ be within me.
The whole Bible is essentially "God with us." It is full of stories of how God was with His children, from the children of Israel to his pouring out wrath and judgement in the prophetic books. Then Emmanuel came, God with us. Jesus, fully God, and fully man stepped off His throne and lowered himself to our level; He came to us. Jesus is referred to as The Light, because He is our light. If you read John 1:1-14, this passage of scripture describes and explains Jesus as the light that surrounds us, and is among us. The light is Salvation, we are asking God to dwell within us and be with us. We know that God is with is when peace reigns, and when God is with is our knowing is certain. "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10
When we are in His presence, He is with us. For the Christian that is all the time. Our Father never leaves. However, song, like prayer, brings us into His presence. The Spirit prays over us (Romans 8:26), but the Spirit also sings over us (Zephaniah 3:17).
Christ is within us. "For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’" We experience this when we "feed" on his word; the Word is our spiritual bread of life. Even in the Lord's Supper we "take eat of His body that was broken for us, and drink His blood that was spilled for us. The core truth in this line of St. Patrick's prayer is that our God is a God who enters into the created order and inhabits it-who does not simply act upon us from above or afar but dwells at the heart of things, in the hearts of the very people who fail and forsake Him. However, we are reassured that what is at work within us us not limited to our imagination or control, but only inhabits us when we are willing vessels. My heart and flesh may fail, but MY GOD NEVER FAILS!
St. Patrick's prayer both reminds and invites to turn our attention and bring our intentions to the Christ within us: Christ, who renews my life with every breath, who offers me direction when I quiet my mind, who empowers me to act despite my shortcomings. The Christ who comforts and fills up every dark space with His light.
Christ be with me, Christ be within me.
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