Arise Today
Icons of Saint Patrick depict him holding shamrocks, a symbol intricately linked to his legacy. This beloved Irish saint used the tri-petal shamrock to illustrate the Christian Trinity which affirms God is one but His eternal essence is threefold — the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. India’s great yogis and scholars, who refer to the Trinity by its Sanskrit name Trimurit, also affirm God is one, describing His threefold essence as — Divinity manifests creation, Divinity manifests in creation and Divinity manifests beyond creation.
Saint Patrick’s Prayer for protection
I arise today in Christ.
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 when I lie down, Christ when I sit down.
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me.
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me.
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Christ within me, Christ around me.
I arise today in Christ.
A 40-Triangle pysanka, like the one illustrated above, is a symbol of good fortune.
In this St. Patrick prayer-pysanka, the triangle signifies Christ, consciousness, higher awareness. Lace symbolizes meditation: the state of calm concentration during prayer writing that makes His protection known. The shamrocks symbolize a devotional appeal to God’s threefold nature.
“ I arise today through confession of the oneness of the Creator of Creation."
—Saint Patrick
Ukrainian folklore characterizes pysanky as a symbolic, talismanic writing that invokes a higher Universal Power for help, while believing with faithful certainty that It will. The contemporary version of this characterization is a paper-and-pen journaling practice called prayer writing that develops a personal relationship with God.
Copyright © 2021 Nancy Kopack.
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