“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow. And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.” -Irish Blessing

St Patrick’s prayer is a prayer of protection. Some believe that Patrick and his followers wore this prayer on their tunics or breastplates and prayed this prayer for protection on their journeys on treacherous roads in their ministries.

It is also known as The Deer’s Cry. 

There is a story that Patrick and some of his followers were traveling to a village to preach. His enemies hired a band of ruffians to wait for them on a forest path. Patrick and his men arrived at the village on schedule unharmed and returned home safely.

The enemies encountered the hired hooligans and asked, “Why didn’t you stop them? We paid you to stop them.”  They answered, “We saw no one on the road.” The hiring group retorted, “You must have seen him. There is only one road through that forest, and we saw him arrive there.” The hired ruffians were angry and said, “We saw no one!” The only living thing that passed before us that day was a herd of deer.” The miracle saved Saint Patrick and his men. 

 And so the prayer became known as “The Deer’s Cry.” It shielded them from unfriendly eyes and protected them as they made their way in the service of Christ.

It is a prayer for both physical and spiritual protection. Throughout this prayer, we hear the unassailable power of God and the constant presence of Christ in our lives. Many have heard an abridged prayer, using only the last part of Saint Patrick’s words celebrating a God who guides his children, sheltering them, strengthening them. (as shown)  The entire prayer tells how God is with us and in us through his creation.

Pray today with conviction, The Deer’s Cry.