April 2018 – Page 3 – A Collection of Prayers

Obligation to Others

O Lord, our Savior,
you have warned us that you will require much
of those to whom much is given.
Grant that we who have so great a heritage
may strive together more abundantly
to extend to others what we so richly enjoy.
As we have supported the labors of others,
by working with them,
in their turn others may support us in our work,
to the fulfillment of your holy will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Augustine of Hippo

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

Refuge and Peace

O God,
full of compassion,
I commit and commend myself to you,
in whom I am, and live, and know.
Be the Goal of my pilgrimage,
and my Rest by the way.
Let my soul take refuge
from the crowding turmoil of worldly thoughts
beneath the shadow of your wings.
Let my heart,
this sea of restless waves,
find peace in you, O God.
You bountifully give all good gifts.
Give those who are weary refreshing food.
Gather our distracted thoughts and powers into harmony again.
Set the prisoner free.
See, he stands at your door and knocks.
Open it to him,
that he may enter with a free step,
and be quickened by you.
For you are the Well-spring of Life,
the Light of eternal Brightness,
where the just live who love you.
Let it be to me according to your word. Amen.

Source: Augustine of Hippo, Fourth Century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

For Light

O God our Father,
you invite us to pray,
and you grant what we ask,
when we ask according to your will.
Hear me as I tremble in this darkness,
and stretch forth your hand to me.
Shine your light before me.
Recall me from my wanderings.
With you as my Guide,
restore me to myself and to you;
through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source: Augustine of Hippo

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

For Obedience and Love

O Lord,
you command me to ask,
grant that I may receive what you give.
You have told me to seek,
let me be happy in finding.
You have bidden me to knock,
I pray, open for me.
Graciously direct and govern all my thoughts and actions,
that, for the future,
I may serve you
and entirely devote myself to obeying you.
Accept me,
and draw me to yourself,
that I may henceforth be yours
by obedience and love,
since I am already yours,
as your creature.
Yours, O Lord,
you live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Source: Augustine of Hippo

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

For Divine Strength

O mightiest King,
co-eternal with the Father,
by your might you vanquished hell and trodden death under foot,
you have bound the strong man,
by your miraculous power
and the radiance of your unspeakable Godhead
you arose as the second Adam from the tomb.
Send forth your invisible right hand,
which is full of blessing,
and bless us all.

Pity us, O Lord,
and strengthen us with your divine power.
Take away the sinful and wicked influence of carnal desire.
Let the light shine into our souls
and dispel the surrounding darkness of sin.
Unite us to the all-blessed assembly that is pleasing to you;
for through you and with you,
all praise, honor, power, adoration, and thanksgiving are due
to the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Liturgy of St. Mark, third century.

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

“by your miraculous power and the radiance of your unspeakable Godhead you arose as the second Adam from the tomb.” …in Potts’ edition was, “…by Thy miraculous power and the enlightening radiance of Thy unspeakable Godhead hast raised Adam from the tomb.”

A Canticle of Christ (1)

resurrection-carl-heinrich-bloch

Christ Jesus,
the true Word,
eternal God,
born of a virgin,
tender shoot from the stump of Jesse,
blessed Lamb,
by him souls were set free,
through his blood all were redeemed,
the earth rejoiced because the enemy departed,
death of death,
hell’s destruction,
you gave freedom to your new creation
that rejoices to call you Master.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
you forgive the sins of the world.
We call on your holy name.

Source: Greek Papyrus Fragment, Cairo Museum, Fourth Century

Source of this version: The New Archaeological Discoveries and their Bearing upon the New Testament by Camdem McCormick Cobern, Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1918, p. 292

Text gaps freely reconstructed by Paul C. Stratman.

“Christ Jesus, the true Word, the God of eternity” is a reference to John 1:1

“born of a virgin” is a reference to Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:34

“a tender shoot” is a reference to Isaiah 53:2

“Stump of Jesse” is a reference to Isaiah 11:1

“through his blood” is a reference to 1 Peter 1:19

“death of death, hell’s destruction” on p. 293 of The New Archaeological Discoveries… a similar prayer has the phrase, “the one that has abolished death and the grave (Hades).” The phrase “death of death…” is from the hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” by William Williams.

“new creation” is a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Lamb of God” is a reference to John 1:29

Text as it reads in The New Archaeological Discoveries and their Bearing upon the New Testament without gaps reconstructed:

Christ…
the true Word,
the God of eternity
…
the blessed Lamb,
by him souls were set free
through his blood …
the earth rejoiced because the enemy departed
…
You gave freedom to the creation
that asked for a Master.
Jesus, you …
forgive sins …
we call on your holy name.

“A Canticle of Christ” from a Greek Papyrus Fragment as reconstructed by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.