Christ Be With Me (St. Patrick’s Breastplate)

LYRICS

VERSE 1
Christ be before me, Christ be behind me,
Christ be within me, King of my heart;
Christ be beside me, Christ be below me,
Christ be above me never to part.

CHORUS 1
I bind myself unto, today,
The power of God to hold and lead,
God’s eye to watch, God’s might to stay,
God’s ear to hearken to my need,
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His sword to ward,
The Word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

VERSE 2
Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me – shield in the strife;
Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my resting,
Christ in my rising – Lord of my life.

CHORUS 2
I bind myself unto the Christ –
The Son of God by power of faith.
His righteous works, His holy life,
His heinous suffering in my place,
His glorious bursting from the tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom,
I bind myself unto, today.

VERSE 1
Christ be before me, Christ be behind me,
Christ be within me, King of my heart;
Christ be beside me, Christ be below me,
Christ be above me never to part.

CHORUS 3
I bind myself unto the name,
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One, the One in Three,
Of whom all nature has been made,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word.
Salvation’s here, O give Him praise!
Salvation is of Christ, the Lord.

VERSE 2
Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me – shield in the strife;
Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my resting,
Christ in my rising – Lord of my life.

Text: St. Patrick’s Breastplate, 5th Century (adapted).
Music and Adaptation by Gary Brumley
© 2008 New Moniker Music. CCLI Song #5461127.

SHEET MUSIC

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ABOUT

Christ Be With Me is an energetic 6/8 meter setting of lyrics from St. Patrick’s Breastplate, attributed to the 5th-century Christian missionary and founder of Christianity in Ireland. In this prayer (adapted here), St. Patrick asks for Christ, who is all around and ever-present, to be near at all times and in all activities, and binds himself by faith to God while invoking his various attributes (power, watchfulness, wisdom, providence, and protection), the gospel of Christ (life, death, resurrection, ascension and return). and the Trinity.

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