Scroll down to find St. Augustine’s prayers from ca. 400 CE and a prayer read by Borg from a Celtic Christian named Alcuin, A-L-C-U-I-N, from around the year 800.
“Christ as a Light” Cited by Marcus Borg:
The prayer he quoted is a modern English adaptation of an ancient Celtic invocation commonly known as “The Lorica of St. Patrick” or “St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” The specific version he gave is a shortened and modernized prayer derived from that longer text, often titled “Christ as a Light.” Here’s the history and context behind it:
1. Origins: “The Lorica of St. Patrick” (also called Faeth Fiada)
The original text is believed to come from early medieval Ireland, around the 5th to 8th centuries, and is traditionally attributed to St. Patrick (c. 385–461 CE). “Lorica” is Latin for “breastplate” — a metaphor for spiritual protection, like armor. These kinds of prayers were recited for divine safeguarding, invoking the presence of Christ and the Trinity to surround the believer in all directions.
The Lorica genre was common in Celtic Christianity, combining Christian theology with a pre-Christian Celtic sense of the sacredness of nature and the need for protection from both spiritual and physical dangers.
The full St. Patrick’s Breastplate (also known by its Latin incipit “Lorica Sancti Patricii” or Irish “Fáeth Fíada”) begins:
“I bind unto myself today
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.”
Later verses famously include:
“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.”
2. Your Quoted Version: “Christ as a Light”
The version Borg recited — “Christ as a light; illumine and guide me. Christ as a shield; overshadow me…” — is a modern liturgical adaptation of the same protective prayer.
It was popularized in the 20th century by the Iona Community, a Christian ecumenical community founded in 1938 on the Isle of Iona, Scotland, by George MacLeod. The Iona Community revived ancient Celtic prayers, rewriting them in accessible modern English for contemporary worship.
This specific adaptation appears in the Iona Abbey Worship Book (20th century) and other Celtic-style prayer books such as Celtic Daily Prayer (Northumbria Community). It’s often used as a morning prayer or blessing before travel.
A typical Iona form reads:
Christ as a light, illumine and guide me.
Christ as a shield, overshadow me.
Christ under me; Christ over me;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak,
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light; Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me on my left and my right.
Borg’s final line — “In your name, O Christ, our body and our blood, our life and our nourishment” — is a Eucharistic addition, tying the prayer to the theology of the Lord’s Supper and daily sustenance, likely inserted in later 20th-century worship contexts.
3. Theological Context
The prayer’s structure reflects early Celtic Christian spirituality, which emphasized:
- Christ’s immanence — the presence of Christ in all creation and human interaction.
- Protection and blessing — invoking divine power over daily life, not as magical incantation but as conscious dependence on God.
- Integration of the physical and spiritual — “body and blood, life and nourishment” show that God’s care is both material and spiritual.
- Communal awareness — Christ present “in the mouth of each who speaks unto me” reflects the Celtic view that God is encountered through others.
4. Usage Today
The “Christ as a Light” prayer is often used in:
- Morning or night prayer services in Celtic Christian traditions.
- Commissioning, sending, or traveling blessings.
- Funerals or memorials, invoking Christ’s presence surrounding the person.
- Daily devotions, particularly in Iona- or Northumbria-inspired liturgies.
It is included in:
- The Iona Abbey Worship Book (Wild Goose Publications)
- Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community
- A Wee Worship Book (Iona Community)
Summary:
The prayer you quoted is a modern, shortened form of St. Patrick’s Breastplate — a 5th–8th century Celtic “lorica” for divine protection. The version called “Christ as a Light” was adapted and revived by the Iona Community in the 20th century for daily worship, emphasizing Christ’s presence around, within, and through every person and encounter.
St. Augustine of Hippo’s Prayer as read by Marcus Borg in the YouTube video here.
Oh God, from whom to be turned is to fall, to whom to be turned is to rise, and in whom to stand is to abide. Forever grant us in all our duties your help in all our perplexities, your guidance in all our dangers, your protection, and in all our sorrows your peace through Jesus Christ Our Lord, our body, and our blood, our life, and our nourishment. Amen
Claude.ai’s response to a request for “information and context”.
This is a beautiful prayer with a rich history. Let me provide you with context about both the prayer itself and the figures associated with it.
About St. Augustine of Hippo
St. Augustine (354-430 CE) was indeed a Christian bishop in North Africa, serving in Hippo Regius (in modern-day Algeria). He is one of the most influential theologians in Christian history, known for works like Confessions and The City of God. His writings profoundly shaped Western Christianity and philosophy.
The Prayer’s Structure and Theology
This prayer beautifully captures Augustinian themes:
The Opening Paradox – “From whom to be turned is to fall, to whom to be turned is to rise, and in whom to stand is to abide forever” reflects Augustine’s understanding of God as the source and sustainer of all being. Turning away from God leads to spiritual collapse, while turning toward God brings restoration and eternal stability.
The Petitions follow a classical pattern:
- Help in duties (divine assistance in our work)
- Guidance in perplexities (wisdom when confused)
- Protection in dangers (safety in threats)
- Peace in sorrows (comfort in grief)
The Christological Conclusion – “through Jesus Christ Our Lord, our body and our blood, our life and our nourishment” has strong Eucharistic overtones, identifying Christ as spiritual sustenance—language resonant with John 6:55: “for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.”
Marcus Borg’s Connection
Marcus Borg (1942-2015) was a prominent progressive Christian scholar and theologian, known for his work on the historical Jesus and contemporary Christian spirituality. His recitation of this ancient prayer demonstrates his appreciation for historic Christian devotion while making it accessible to modern practitioners. The prayer exemplifies how ancient Christian wisdom continues to speak across centuries.
A prayer from St. Augustine from around the year 400 quoted by Marcus Borg. And so we go back in time some 16 centuries to these words from a North African bishop.
“O God, from whom to be turned is to fall, to whom to be turned is to rise, and in whom to stand is to abide forever.
Grant us in all our duties, your help; in all our perplexities, your guidance; in all our dangers, your protection, and in all our sorrows, your peace.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, our body and our blood, our life and our nourishment. *
Amen“
‘* Repeated from above: Borg’s final line — “In your name, O Christ, our body and our blood, our life and our nourishment” — is a Eucharistic addition, tying the prayer to the theology of the Lord’s Supper and daily sustenance, likely inserted in later 20th-century worship contexts.
By a Celtic Christian named Alcuin, A-L-C-U-I-N, from around the year 800, as read by Marcus Borg here.
Give us, O Lord, we pray, firm faith, unwavering hope, a passion for justice.
Pour into our hearts the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and spiritual strength, the spirit of knowledge and true compassion, and the spirit of wonder in all your works.
Light eternal, shine in our hearts.
Power eternal, deliver us from evil.
Wisdom eternal, scatter the darkness of our ignorance.
Might eternal, have mercy on us.
Grant that we may ever seek your face with all our heart and soul and strength.
And in your infinite mercy, bring us at last to the fullness of your presence, where we shall behold your glory and live your promised joys.
In your name, O Christ, our body and our blood, our life and our nourishment.
Amen
