Our epistle reading calls us to “Put on the whole armor of God” in order to be protected from the evil in the world. That metaphor is extended with various pieces of the familiar armor used by the Roman legions of the day, belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, sword. As I was meditating on the passage, the phrase that got my attention was: “and put on the breastplate of righteousness.” Different people would have different associations with that, no doubt. Likely law enforcement folks would relate it to their life-saving Kevlar vests. But with a maiden name like O’Malley, my association is with what is known as St. Patrick’s Breastplate. It is found in the ancient Irish poem called “The Deer Cry” and is a prayer invoking the presence of Christ. (A version of it is found in v.6 of Hymn #370 celebrating the Trinity in the Hymnal 1982.)

“Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.”

Read that prayer again, S L O W L Y, pause and breathe deeply at each comma,

letting the phrase enter your heart, experiencing the presence of Christ comforting

and restoring you as the hymn phrases it.

Then repeat that exercise, naming someone near and dear to you to replace the

“me” and “I”. Notice how you feel.

Finally, repeat the exercise, naming someone with whom you have difficulty or

conflict, from whom you feel negative energy. Notice any changes in your feelings.

That is one way we can apply Paul’s injunction to “always persevere in supplication for

ALL the saints.”