Remembering My Baptism

With the Music of St. Patrick's Lorica

The year was 1889. The then dean of the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle (pictured above) wrote to a poet and Irish bishop’s wife, suggesting she pen a metrical version of the prayer of St. Patrick, called “St. Patrick’s Breastplate” or “St. Patrick’s Lorica.” Cecil Frances Alexander sent back the version that had now become famous within a week.¹

Fast-forward one hundred and two years later to Central Louisiana. My six-year-old self was baptized on this day at Cloverdale Baptist Church by Brother J.D. Ford, Jr. I did not know this hymn or text at that age, but St. Patrick’s Day has always had a connection to baptism for me.

The church I attend today will often sing C.F. Alexander’s lyric set to Charles Stanford’s tune arrangement. It is a great hymn and i think of it on Trinity Sunday but also each March 17th.

I bind this day to me forever
by power of faith, Christ's incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom;
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

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.

I bind unto myself the name,
the strong name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the three in one, and one in three.
Of whom all nature has creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word,
Praise to the Lord of my salvation;
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Here are a couple of videos with the hymn accompaniment on the piano as well as a choir singing the text.

1. Ian Bradley, Daily Telegraph Book of Hymns (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006), 180.