LORICA: PRAYER OF PROTECTION
The arms of God be around my shoulders,
the touch of the Holy Spirit upon my head,
the sign of Christ's cross upon my forehead,
the sound of the Holy Spirit in my ears,
the fragrance of the Holy Spirit in my nostrils,
the vision of heaven's company in my eyes,
the conversation of heaven's company on my lips,
the work of God's church in my hands,
the service of God and the neighbor in my feet,
a home for God in my heart,
and to God, the Father of all, my entire being.
the Lorica of St. Fursa
The Lorica is a great Irish/Celtic prayer form that takes it's impetus from St. Paul's image of putting on the spiritual armor of the Lord. (check out Ephesians chapter 6). I got to thinking this evening, as the apple tree outside my window is in full bloom in the light of the setting sun, that our prayer is often stilted and formal, devoid of life and energy. The Lorica resets that prayer in the every day. It makes me root my prayer in experience, forces me to find God in what I do and say--so much so that I 'put on Christ' as I experience the Lord each day. As much as I love all traditional forms of prayer, since I was a little child I have found God most readily in the Eucharist and in nature. The God whom I receive at Communion is the same God who created and permeates all that He has created. The Lorica reminds me of that constant presence of God that sings throughout all of creation. By using such vivid words drawn from nature and our own existence, this prayer resets my spiritual vision so that I can dwell with God not simply in thought but in my everyday existence, in my entire being.
I wasn't sure what it was that appealed to me in Celtic pray, but your comment hit the nail on the head so to speak. The language is of everyday living in its entirety. The language speaks to the person and brings God closer, which I find is the opposite to the language used in church services, whether it is the mass or stations of the cross or whatever; where it sounds formal.
God Bless
Posted by: Padraig | June 13, 2006 at 03:35 PM
Msgr. Barr's book is really good! Buy it, read, apply it to your life! It's really simple to put into practice the virtues he illustrates and has made me more aware of God in my everyday life.
Posted by: Tom | August 22, 2006 at 08:10 PM
Dear Soul Friend,
Thank you for this refreshing and edifying website. i am a great fan of the Lorica of St Fursa but am unfamiliar with this version of it. Can you tell me where you found this translation. Many Thanks. Every Blessing,
Paul
Posted by: paul wallis | February 05, 2008 at 11:00 AM
In December 2008 a new book hits the shelves which takes the reader through a forty-day meditation on the Lorica of St Fursa. It's called:
BE THOU MY VISION
40 days of giving your life to God - the Celtic way
Published by Continuum Press, it's the first book ENTIRELY devoted to this wonderful prayer. I wrote it because I have used this prayer on retreats, broadcasts, conferences and church camps. Somehow it excites a profound repsonse among those I have shared it with.
I think the vision of a Christianity that sanctifies rather than marginalises the stuff of everyday life is something very important to people.
I think, too, it addresses the need for a pattern of spirituality that is not centred on the in-church program.
While researching this book I have also come to appreciate that the part of the Church of the Dark Ages which was was home to St Fursa was one which predated the more heirarchical, institutional forms of church-life that took over. So it's a more organic, grassroots expression of the faith that Fursa speaks from.
I find it fascinating that even through this brief prayer Fursa speaks to many in the mainstream churches with a vision of a more whole-life spirituality. He also speaks to those in new, emerging expressions of church among those seeking closer forms of community.
I love Fursa because he is an expert in both fields, and as a foreigner to our world is able to speak with the independence and prophetic edge that his wonderful prayer so beatifully expresses.
***I'm looking forward to the book! Congratulations. Msgr. Barr
Posted by: Paul Wallis | May 07, 2008 at 07:45 PM
Did this book , about the 40 days , end up coming out ? If so I would love to get my hands on a copy , if you could give me the ISBN-13: # I'll have the gentleman at my local Catholic book store see if his distributor can get it.
-- Steven Barr
****I don't know, Steve. Sorry about that.
Posted by: Steven Barr | May 28, 2009 at 11:18 AM