Featured Prayers: Lent

Scroll through all our Lenten prayers at this link: https://acollectionofprayers.com/tag/lent/

Prayers for Ash Wednesday

Short Devotional Rite for Ash Wednesday

Other Prayers and Collects for Lent

Collects for Lent

Passion Prayers

Penitential Prayers

Litanies

Holy Week

Palm Sunday

Days of Holy Week

Scriptural Way of the Cross 

Triduum

HolyTH

Holy (Maundy) Thursday

Good Friday

Good Friday Anthems

Holy Saturday / Easter Eve

Next: Featured Prayers: Easter

ACollectionofPrayers banner

NEW: Prayers through the Centuries

Based on Prayers of the Early Church and Prayers of the Middle Ages, originally edited by James Manning Potts, now in the public domain. Both of Potts’ books are presented here in one volume with the language revised and refreshed for modern use. The chapters correspond to the centuries of the early and medieval church.

In his preface to Prayers of the Early Church, Potts wrote, “This book of prayers is published with the hope and prayer that it may have wide use.” This revision is published also with the hope and prayer that these resources may have an even wider use.

In paperback and for Kindle.

Good Friday Litany

Lord, hear the prayers of your people,
and forgive our sins, for you are kind.

Lord, Creator of the world, you judge righteously, deliver us from evil by your Right Hand,
and forgive our sins, for you are kind.

By your Cross you purchased for yourself a people from the nations, graciously blot out the sins of all, O Christ,
and forgive our sins, for you are kind.

You called on the Father, and asked him to forgive. Forgive our debts, and loosen our bonds,
and forgive our sins, for you are kind.

You promised the rest of Paradise to the thief. Help the penitents who are bound,
and forgive our sins, for you are kind.

Mozarabic Breviary, 574. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Good Friday Response (2)

My enemies lie in wait for me without a cause.
Holy Father, have mercy and deliver me.

I was led as a lamb to the slaughter, caught by my enemies like a bird in a snare without a cause.
Holy Father, have mercy and deliver me.

Evil people opened their mouths against me, they gnashed their teeth, seeking to devour me. They hissed and shouted and shook their heads, bringing false witness against me without a cause.
Holy Father, have mercy and deliver me.

They condemned and nailed me to the cross with nails of iron. Judas sold me for thirty pieces of silver. They pierced my side with a spear, and there flowed out water with innocent blood without a cause.
Holy Father, have mercy and deliver me.

They surrounded me, even when I was buried in the tomb. They put a seal on the stone without a cause.
Holy Father, have mercy and deliver me.

Look, merciful Father, and help the wretched, for whom I suffer such bitter punishments without a cause.
Holy Father, have mercy and deliver me.

Source: Gallican Sacramentary, 842. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Good Friday Response

O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed! (Lamentations 1:9)

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

Sent from the Father, I came to seek the lost and to redeem with my blood those who were carried captive by the enemy. A cruel people rejected me.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

Foretold by the prophets, I was born of a virgin, I took on myself the nature of a servant to gather those who were scattered. The hunters took me.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

They rewarded me much evil for good. They devised wicked plans against me. They sold me for money.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

They put a crown of thorns on my head. They spit on me. They mocked my affliction.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

They hung me on the cross with evil thieves. They fed me with gall, and to punish me they gave me vinegar to drink.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

Those I came to deliver accused me. They beat me with scourges and crucified me. They pierced me with a spear.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

I was laid in the tomb. I broke the gates of hell. I brought out the captives and led them on high. I displayed them in triumph.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

Most merciful Father, forgive all their evil deeds. Blot out their sins and absolve the crimes of those who did not know what they were doing.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

You pardoned the crimes of the repentant thief. Loosen our chains and absolve our guilt. Save us by your cross.

Have mercy, righteous Father, and forgive us all.

Source: Mozarabic Manual, 354; cf. Gallican Sacramentary, 843. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

…And Forgive Us

We cry to you, Lord, have mercy on us,
and forgive us.

King of Heaven and eternal Lord, receive the prayer we pour out before you,
and forgive us.

Visit the sick, release the captives, help the widow and the orphan,
and forgive us.

We have sinned and have turned from you. Redeemer of all, save us,
and forgive us.

Have mercy on the penitent, and wash away the stains of sin,
and forgive us.

Source: Mozarabic Breviary, 166. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Litany of Repentance

Christ, pitying Redeemer of souls, listen to the sighing of those who mourn,
and have mercy.

Lord, hear to your Church, and grant forgiveness to all we pray for,
and have mercy.

Remember that we are but dust and will return again to the earth. Refashion us for good,
and have mercy.

Forgive the sinner, restore captives to their country, and answer the prayers of all,
and have mercy.

Forgive our guilt, forgive our sins, forgive the debts of all, to all grant pardon,
and have mercy.

Source: Mozarabic Breviary, 418, Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Ash Wednesday Collect

Lord Jesus Christ,
because of your love for humanity
you took on yourself the form of a servant,
although you are our Lord.
You walk like a wounded man,
although you are our Physician.
Raise us from our falls,
enlighten our blindness,
and loosen the chains of sins that have bound us;
you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Leofric Missal, 182, shortened. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Litany Prayer for Ash Wednesday 2

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father…

Together let us pray to the Most High, that he would mercifully grant peace in our days. Amen.

That he would add deeds of love to our faith and hope. Amen.

That we may be received into the company of those above. Amen.

Source: Roman Missal, i. 161. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Ash Wednesday Litany

Let us clothe ourselves in sackcloth and ashes, and let us fast and weep before the Lord, for our God is very merciful, and will forgive our sins:

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Let the servants of the Lord weep before the altar and say, “Spare, Lord, spare your people, and do not put to shame the lips that praise you.”

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Let us amend the sins which we have ignorantly committed, that we do not receive God’s grace in vain, but know this as the time of God’s favor and the day of salvation.

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Help us, God of our salvation, and for the glory of your name deliver us, Lord.

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

Remember, mortal, that you are dust, and to dust you will return:

Hear, Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned against you.

Source: Roman Missal, i. 48; cf. Sarum Manual, 134. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Reference to 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 added.

Litany Prayer for Ash Wednesday 1

Pleasant is this present life, and it passes;
Christ, your Judgment is awesome, and it prevails.
Therefore let us forsake uncertain love, and think of your infinite holiness, crying:
Lord, have mercy on us.

“Come, and return to me,” says the Lord.
Come, let us explore and examine our ways. Let us return to the Lord and say:
You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Source: Ambrosian Manual, ii. 119, 120, shortened. Freely modified from Devotions from Ancient and Medieval Sources (Western), ed. Rev. Charles Plummer, 1916.

Reference to Lamentations 3:40 added.