I Bind Unto Myself This Day

Are you Irish? I’ve noticed that everyone seems to claim an Irish progenitor on this day of the Church year. Streets are closed, green beer is ubiquitous, and shamrocks abound, and, though I’m keen on all three, that’s not really what I invite you to ponder.

I propose to enlighten your joie de vivre with two quick aperçus: a splendid poem-turned-hymn and a recipe that’s sure to delight.

First, enjoy the hymn known to us as St. Patrick’s Breastplate, without which no St. Patrick’s Day is really complete:

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
I bind this day to me for ever,
by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors' faith, apostles' word,
the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven
the glorious sun's life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

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 today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Secondly, here’s a wee bit of Ireland (think potato) vis-à-vis a certain fruits de mer, the Bayou La Batre crab.

Charleston’s Crab Stuffed Potatoes With A Wink to Ireland

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes

2 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil

½ lb. of unsalted butter

Sea salt

Finely ground Tellicherry peppercorns

1/3 cup of sour cream (I prefer the richness of Breakstone’s)

4 TBSP. half and half

3 cups of Irish grated aged cheddar cheese (grate yourself)

½ cup grated pepper jack cheese (grate yourself)

1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat (As I said in another post, I order our crab from Joe Patti’s in Pensacola, Florida; visit their website for more information www.joepattis.com )

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Use a paring knife to poke three small shallow holes in each potato for venting. Gently rub olive oil on the potatoes and bake for 1.5 hours.

2. Remove potatoes from oven, slice the tops off lengthwise and gently spoon out the potato and place in a mixing bowl. Take care not to damage the skins; you will use them later. This needs to be done while the potatoes are still hot. Using a wooden spatula or a food mill, dry the potatoes by fluffing them vigorously in the mixing bowl.

3. Add salt, pepper, half-and-half, butter, sour cream, 2 cups of the cheddar and pepper jack to the potatoes, and, using a hand-held mixer, mix for 1 minute.

4. Fold in the crab to the mixture.

5. Spoon mixture back into the potato skins.

6. Top the potatoes with remaining cheddar and bake for an additional twenty minutes.

N.B. This recipe can be made without the crab.