This is my homepage but most of my web presence is on my blog, Book Reviews and More. It is a collection of my published and unpublished writing, mostly book reviews, with a few articles and reflection's. If you want to poke around here the key sections are Poetry, Artwork, and Lists.

I have written poetry for as long as I can remember. And I try and read a book or 2 of poetry each year. This is one of my favourites.

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St. Patrick's Rune

  "All heaven with its power
  and the sun with its brightness and,
  and the snow with its whiteness,
  and the fire with all the strength it hath-
  and lightning with its rapid wrath
  and the winds with their swiftness along their path.
  And the sea with its deepness,
  and the rocks with their steepness
  and the earth with its starkness-
        all these I place
        by God almighty help and grace
        between myself and
        the powers of darkness!"
        
 

St. Patrick's Breastplate (Lorica)
 

[This 5th century Irish hymn was composed by St. Patrick to protect himself against the Celtic pagan priests who sought to kill him.]

    I arise today
        through a mighty strength, be invocation of the Trinity ,
        through belief in the threeness
        through confession of the Oneness
        toward the Creator.
  I arise today
        through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
        through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial,
        through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
        through the strength of His dissent for the  Judgement of Doom.
  I arise today
        through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
        in obedience of Angels,
        in the service of Archangel,
        and hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
        and prayers of the Prophets,
        in preaching of Apostles,
        and faith of Confessors,
        in innocence of Holy Virgins,
        in deeds of righteous men.
  I arise today
        through the strength of Heaven:
        the light of the Sun,
        brilliance of the Moon,
        splendor of Fire,
        speed of Lightning,
        swiftness of Wind
        depth of Sea,
        Stability of Earth,                                                       
        Firmness of Rock.
  I arise today
        through God's strength to pilot me:
        God's might to uphold me,
        God's wisdom to guide me,
        God's eye to look before me,
        God's ear to hear me,
        God's word to speak for me,
        God's hand to guard me,
        God's way to lie before me,
        God's shield  to protect me   
             against snares of devils,
             against temptations of vices,
             against inclinations of nature,
             against everyone who shall wish me ill,
             afar and near,
             alone and in a crowd.
  Christ protect me today
        against poison, against burning
        against drowning, against wounding
        so that there may come abundance of reward.
  Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
  Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
  Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
  Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,
  Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
  Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me,
  Christ in every eye that sees me,
  Christ in every ear that hears me.

  I arise today
        through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
        through belief in Threeness,
        through confession of Oneness
        towards the Creator.

  Salvation is of the Lord.
  Salvation is of the Lord.
  Salvation is of the Lord.
  May Thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
        --St Patrick   5th Century Priest

 

INVOCATION OF THE TRINITY - SAINT PATRICK'S BREAST-PLATE

Ascribed to St. Patrick, 372-466, Tr. (1889) by Cecil Francis Alexander
(From: The Book of Common Praise [Hymn Book of the Church of England in Canada] 1938)

 I bind unto myself to-day
The strong Name of the TRINITY;
By invocation of the same,
The THREE in ONE,
and ONE in THREE.

I bind this day to me for ever,
By power of faith, CHRIST'S incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spiced tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;
I bind unto myself to-day.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of Cherubim;
The sweet 'Well done' in judgement hour;
The service of the Seraphim,
Confessors' faith. Apostles' word,
The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the LORD,
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself to-day
The virtues of the star-lit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself to-day
The power of GOD to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, his might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my GOD to teach,
His hand to guide, his shield to ward;
The word of GOD to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

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.
CHRIST beneath me, CHRIST above me,
CHRIST in quiet, CHRIST in danger,
CHRIST IN hearts of all that love me,
CHRIST in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the TRINITY ;
By invocation of the same,
The THREE in ONE, and ONE in THREE,
Of whom all nature hath creation;
Eternal FATHER, SPIRIT, WORD;
Praise to the LORD of my salvation,
Salvation is of CHRIST the LORD

 

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