Wednesday, June 27, 2007

St Patrick's San Simeon Breastplate

Tina and I memorized St. Patrick's Breastplate early in our sabbatical. It's the one that starts "Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me ..." It helps center us, and we especially love it when we are walking.

As I sat on the beach at San Simeon last weekend, I wondered what St. Patrick would pray if he were with me. Here's my go at it: St. Patrick's San Simeon Breastplate

Christ in ebb and Christ in flow
Christ as tired tides recede
Christ on sand at sunset’s glow
Christ in driftwood and seaweed.

Christ as cares expand to oceans
Christ as oceans crash ashore
Christ as crashes cause erosions
Christ, remove what’s not secure.

Christ is carved in pelican beaks
Christ is pooled in crags with glee
Christ through snails and starfish speaks
Christ through green anemone.

Christ I come, though feebly so
Christ your wideness beckons me
Christ I come to face the flow
Christ to shape and make me free.

2 comments:

www.joeandheidiwhite.blogspot.com said...

you forgot a good last line..."Christ to help me pee with glee"

joe

p.s. awesome post! love the poem...keep em' comin'

Anonymous said...

Hey Whites,

Found your blog through Scott B.'s :) I am taking a Fuller class on the history of missions and we spent some time talking about St Patrick. He's becoming one of my heroes of the faith :)

Blessings on your sabbatical!

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