“Lorica” comes from a Latin word that describes a shield or breastplate which soldiers carried or wore in battle to protect them.  The term has come to be associated with Saint Patrick’s breastplate that contained a prayer of protection as he encountered adversaries in presenting Christianity to natives of the Emerald Isle and is carried today by sons and daughters of Ireland who contend with spiritual enemies.  The lyrics or words wrap us, as they did him, in affection and love for the Holy Trinity, attesting that we belong to God who will surround us if we carry forth His mission through our words and deeds.

The prayer says, in part, “Christ be with me, Christ be in me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ when I lie down and when I rise again.”  This prayer expresses our dependence on God’s strength, wisdom, and divine grace.  According to legend, Patrick composed the verses when going to the hill of Tara, ancient ceremonial site of high kings, to preach among the masses of people.  To avoid an ambush by the pagan high king, Laoghaire, God made Patrick and his entourage appear to the king and his army of druids as a herd of deer.  Patrick confronted the hostile monarch who was surprised by what he thought were Patrick’s magical powers.  It was there that the future saint picked a shamrock from the hillside to teach about God’s triune nature and it was there that Christianity’s first victory took place on Erin’s soil.

We are drawn to saints because they extoll heroic virtues; they inspire us to believe that common people can overcome stumbling blocks that knock us down and afflictions that keep us down.  They encourage us to trust that, through God’s grace, we can do great things. Many Americans, in particular, are attracted to Saint Patrick for various reasons.  One is that, through him, we feel connected to our immigrant ancestors and their difficult plight.  He, himself was an immigrant, first as a slave and later as a missionary; perhaps we gain greater solidarity with others in our immigrant nation through his faith journey.  Ireland or the Irish identity which author Leon Uris once summarized as a “terrible beauty” consists of myth, mystery, story, song, drink, persecution, prayer, and deep, deep faith.  It is, in some ways, the identity of anyone who loves their land of origin, even if it has caused pain.  The human predicament and journey of faith belong to all.

Also, Patrick’s feast day is in such close proximity to the first day of spring that we associate the wearin’ of the green, the springing of new life, and the optimistic spirit that “hope springs eternal” with him.  He offers us an inherent happiness of the heart to face incredible challenges in our lives.  Whether spring training, spring break, March Madness, wavering weather, or other seasonal events, we seek a victorious spirit of hope and newness that will prevail.  For Christians, the chief springtime ritual is Easter and the promise of resurrection beyond the grave.

We need the saints as models of faith and examples for living because they faced hardships head on and trusted our Good Lord to guide them through.  Patrick is one of the heroes that takes us to Easter, points us toward heaven, and reminds us that, to receive the crown of victory at the finish line, we must surround ourselves with the Lord’s shield.  God’s breastplate, like the lorica, will protect us.