On this day when we wear green and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I want to share with you a prayer attributed to St. Patrick that is found in our United Methodist Book of Worship:

Christ be with us, Christ before us, Christ behind us,
Christ in us, Christ beneath us, Christ above us,
Christ on our right, Christ on our left,
Christ where we lie, Christ where we sit, Christ where we arise,
Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of us,
Christ in every eye that sees us,
Christ in every ear that hears us.
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Christ,
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
(SAINT PATRICK, IRELAND, 5TH CENT., ALT.)

I love how this prayer reminds us that Christ is indeed ever with us – surrounding us and going with us wherever we are. It is a powerful reminder of Jesus’ promise to us at the end of Matthew’s Gospel that he will be with us always.

This prayer also reminds us that others should be able to see and hear Christ within us. Our lives of faithful discipleship ideally reflect and reveal Christ to others. We can help others see how God is with them – surrounding them and going with them.

If you want to learn more about St. Patrick, check out this article from the United Methodist News Service. – https://www.umnews.org/en/news/what-st-patrick-can-teach-united-methodists – Learning from the saints of our faith is great way for us to grow in our faith, too, and to find inspiration and strength for our discipleship.