Church Stories

The Ivy Window

This is a prayer of St. Patrick, the fifth-century English cleric who brought the Gospel to Ireland, and whose feast day is this coming Friday.

Creator God,
at the beginning of time, you created all things and called them good:
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.

Redeemer God,
when the time was right you granted us
Christ’s incarnation;
his baptism in the Jordan river;
his death on the cross for our salvation.
His bursting from the spiced tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom.

Sustainer God, come as Holy Spirit today,
your power to hold and lead,
your eye to watch, your might to stay,
your ear to hearken to our need,
your ancient wisdom to teach,
your hand to guide, your shield to ward,
the true and timeless word to give us speech,
your heavenly host to be our guard.

Christ be with us, Christ within us,
Christ behind us, Christ before us,
Christ beside us, Christ to win us,
Christ to comfort and restore us,
Christ beneath us, Christ above us,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love us,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
We pray this prayer in the strong name of the Trinity,
the Three in One, the One in Three,
of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word.
Praise to the Lord of our salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.