Old Irish Blessings
For St. Patrick's Day
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Irish blessings date back to the Celtic days and are deeply rooted in nature. The seasons, the air, wind, rain, and sun are often the resounding elements in their prose. The following blessings highlight these elements and the beauty of nature.
May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine upon you and warm your heart till it glows,
Like a great peat fire, so that the stranger may come
and warm himself at it,
as well as the friend.
And may the light shine out of the eyes of you,
like a candle set in the windows of a house,
Bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.
And may the blessing of the rain be on you - the soft sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirit so that all the little flowers may spring up,
And shed their sweetness on the air.
And may the blessing of the great rains be on you,
that they beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there many a shining pool, and sometimes a star.
And may the blessing of the earth be on you - the great round earth;
May you ever have a kindly greeting for people you pass
as you are going along the roads.
And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly.
"Author Unknown"
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings,
Slow to make enemies, quick to make friends.
But rich or poor, quick or slow,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.
May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And Heaven is overflowing.
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again...
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
"Author Unknown"
May you be blessed with the strength of heaven
The light of the sun and the radiance of the moon
The splendor of fire~~the speed of lightning
The swiftness of wind~~the depth of the sea
The stability of earth and the firmness of rock.
"From the breastplate of St. Patrick"
Deep Peace of the running waves to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the smiling stars to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you
"An Old Gaelic Prayer"
May St. Patrick smile on you
The Lord above bless you
And peace and contentment
Forever possess you!
"From the statue of St. Patrick"
Croag Patrick, County Mayo
Clip Art By
Annes Place
Celtic Clip Art
Background Music
"Eamonn of the Hills"
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