May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world

May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us! May Christ be in us, Christ be over all! May Thy Salvation, Lord, Always be ours, This day, O Lord, and evermore.

Amen.

St. Patrick's prayer asks God to guide, protect, teach, and defend us in daily life.

It is linked to St Patrick’s Breastplate, a prayer of spiritual protection. The repeated lines — God’s strength, power, wisdom, hand, way, shield, and host — mean that the whole person is being placed under God’s care.

“Against the snares of the evil ones”
This asks God to protect us from the devil and demons, especially from their traps and lies. Evil spirits try to lead people away from God through temptation, fear, confusion, pride, or despair. “Snares” means hidden traps — things that may appear harmless but can pull the soul into sin.

“Against temptations of the world”
This asks God to help us resist the sinful pressures around us. “The world” here does not mean creation itself, which is good, but the attitudes opposed to God: pride, greed, lust, selfishness, vanity, hatred, and the desire to live without God. It is a prayer for strength to stay faithful to Christ in daily life.

The centre of the prayer is Christ:

“May Christ be with us… before us… in us… over all.”

This means Catholics ask Jesus to lead us, dwell within us, and rule over every part of life.

In short: it is a prayer for God’s protection, Christ’s presence, and perseverance in salvation.