I have been reading the book Christ, My Companion: Meditations on the Prayer of St. Patrick by Marilyn McEntyre. It is a contemplation on the Prayer of St. Patrick, a prayer attributed to Ireland's patron saint. I have enjoyed deeply examining each line and reflecting on how the words inform my own relationship with Jesus.
Here is the prayer:
“Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”
Is there a particular line that resonates with you?
The first line to call my attention is "Christ to win me." The word win sounds so positive and daring.
It conjures images of Christ the Bridegroom wooing us.
It tells me of Savior who is enthralled with us.
It resonates as a Jesus who is willing to go to battle for us.
Christ wants us!
And the most reassuring part? Christ is doing the winning. We do not have to earn Jesus' love. In fact, it is impossible to win Jesus' love. It is also impossible to win against our own sin, grief, and despair. It is impossible to win our salvation. Christ does the winning for us.
We can rest in Christ's embrace. God will complete the good work in us and in our communities.
Read this: Christ wants you!
How will you fall into Christ's embrace today?
Christ has won you and will continue to win you, now and forevermore.
I hope to spend time reflecting on more lines of the prayer and sharing my thoughts with you in the weeks to come. My family is going on a much needed vacation next week to Mount Shasta in California. We're staying in a yurt :) If you want to follow along on the adventure, make sure to follow me on Instagram! See you in two weeks with another post.
