SAINT PATRICK'S DAY - St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland
Video - Irish Blessing (music, images of Ireland and text) 1:55 minutes
Video - Celtic Tranquility Meditation 8:30 minutes
Video - Celtic Woman - The Voice 3:11 minutes
Video - Enya Sings "Athair Ar Neamh" (Gaelic) 3:42 minutes
Athair Ar Neamh means father in heaven, the lyrics translated are:
Father in Heaven, God bless us
Father in Heaven, God bless me
My soul, my heart, my glory,
praise to you, God.
Long is the peaceful day
Long is the night without gloom
Delight, joy, love,
praise to you, God.
I glorify you day after day.
I glorify you night after night.
Video: "Meet St. Patrick, the Man Behind The Myth" produced by National Geographic Media (there's a brief commercial before the film starts).
Quote attributed to St. Patrick:
"I am Patrick, yes a sinner and indeed untaught; yet I am established here in Ireland where I profess myself bishop. I am certain in my heart that 'all that I am,' I have received from God. So I live among barbarous tribes, a stranger and exile for the love of God."
The most famous writing associated with St. Patrick is called "St. Patrick's Breastplate" One version of it is below:
I bind myself today, -
To the power of God to guide me,
The might of God to uphold me,
The wisdom of God to teach me,
The eye of God to watch over me,
The ear of God to bear me,
The Word of God to speak for me,
The hand of God to protect me,
The way of God to lie before me,
The shield of God to shelter me,
The host of God to defend me
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me,
Christ in the eye of every man that sees me,
Christ in the ear of every man who hears me -
Salvation is the Lord's,
Salvation is the Lord's,
Salvation is Christ's,
Let thy salvation, 0 Lord, be ever with us.
From The Tripartite Life of Saint Patrick - edited and translated by Whitley Stokes, London, 1887
The quotations above and a newer and more complete translation of the "Breastplate" as well as other quotations associated with St. Patrick can be found here.
Website "Celebrating St. Patrick and the Irish"
Western Orthodoxy for the Third Millennium - The Celtic Episcopal Church
Father in Heaven, God bless us
Father in Heaven, God bless me
My soul, my heart, my glory,
praise to you, God.
Long is the peaceful day
Long is the night without gloom
Delight, joy, love,
praise to you, God.
I glorify you day after day.
I glorify you night after night.