“Saint Patrick” by Jen Norton. Acrylic on wood; 16×20″, $1400
Here we are already in March, so I’d better get to it and share my newest saint painting…ta-da!…St. Patrick! Inspired by his story (he’s more than green beer and shamrocks), his popularity, and my trek up his famed mountain in Co. Mayo, Ireland, I’ve created this piece which includes pieces of his “Lorica” or “Breastplate” prayer of protection (see one version of the prayer below).
Did you know Patrick wasn’t born in Ireland? And that he wasn’t even called “Patrick” as a boy, but but took that name at his ordination? He was raised Christian among the Britons of the Roman Empire (probably in current-day Wales). He was kidnapped as a teen by Irish raiders and was put to work as a shepherd slave. During this time, he became aware of his youthful and rebellious lack of faith and turned toward God. Even after escaping six years later and returning to his home, he felt called back to Ireland to bring the faith of his childhood to the Irish tribes and work toward ending slavery, a common practice at the time. He was uneducated, didn’t write well and met many obstacles over his 40 years of service among the Irish. But with his genuine love for God and perseverance, he succeeded in turning the tribal Irish people toward the Christian faith of his childhood.
I have archival prints of this piece in my Etsy shop and art prints and other fun merchandise like mugs and pillows in my Fine Art America store. Contact me for original artwork.
The Lorica of Saint Patrick
I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The brightness of the Sun,
The whiteness of Snow,
The splendor of Fire,
The speed of Lightning,
The swiftness of the Wind,
The depth of the Sea,
The stability of the Earth,
The firmness of Rocks.
I bind to myself today
God’s Power to pilot me,
God’s Might to uphold me,
God’s Wisdom to guide me,
God’s Eye to look before me,
God’s Ear to hear me,
God’s Word to speak for me,
God’s Hand to guard me,
God’s Way to lie before me,
God’s Shield to shelter me,
God’s Host to secure me.
Christ protect me today …
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ when lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up.
Christ in the heart of everyone 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.
You may remember that last year I had the honor if illustrating a children’s book about St. Patrick as a child by author Steve Nagel. Catholic Library World said of the art, “Jen Norton’s illustrations are colorful and detailed. Norton’s folk art style is beautiful, classic, and effective artistic storytelling. The illustrations have many Christian signs and symbols. Each drawing invites the reader to spend time exploring the images.” If you’ve got smaller children, this is a wonderful story to illustrate how God can be found in the little, everyday moments. I’ve got a few copies in my Etsy store, or you can order straight from the publisher, Gracewatch Media. I encourage you to visit their site, where you can preview the entire book in pdf form and learn more fun facts about St. Patrick!
