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Morning Prayer

CelticCapital15 Thanks to you, Jesus Christ,
who brought me up from last night
to the gladsome light of this day,
to win everlasting life for my soul,
through the atoning blood you shed for me.

Praise to you, O God forever,
for the blessings you bestowed on me,
my food, my speech, my deeds, my health.

And I ask,
to shield me from sin,
to shield me from ill,
to bless me this night,
and I low and poor,
O God of the poor!
O Christ of the wounds!
Give me wisdom along with your grace.

May the Holy One claim me,
and protect me on sea and on land,
and lead me on from step to step,
to the peace of the Everlasting City,
the peace of the Everlasting City!

Source: Unknown, Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p. 97. English translation modified.

Graphic is from Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p.96

In Carmida Gadelica… on the following pages, a similar prayer in a slightly different format appears:

The Dedication

Thanks to you, God,
who brought me from yesterday
to the beginning of today,
everlasting joy
to earn for my soul
with good intent
and for every gift of peace
you bestow on me,
my thoughts, my words,
my deeds, my desires
I dedicate to you,
I supplicate you,
I beseech you,
to keep me from offence
and to shield me tonight
for the sake of your wounds
with your offering of grace.

Table Graces by Matthew Henry

An address to God before a meal.

O Lord our God, in you we live and move and have our being and from you we receive all the supports and comforts of our being. You spread our table and fill our cup and comfort us with the gifts of your goodness from day to day. We depend on you and owe everything to you. Pardon our sins, sanctify the good things you have created for our use, and give us grace to receive them soberly and thankfully, and to eat and drink not to ourselves, but to your glory; through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Savior. Amen.

Another.

Gracious God, you are the protector and preserver of the whole creation. You have fed us all our lives to this day with food convenient for us, even though we are evil and unthankful. Forgive all our sins by which we have forfeited all your mercies, and let us see our forfeited right restored in Christ Jesus. Give us a taste of your unfailing love in everyday mercies and to use these and all our creature comforts to the glory of our great Benefactor; through the grace of our great Redeemer. Amen.

An address to God after a meal.

Blessed be the Lord who daily loads us with his benefits and gives us all things richly to enjoy, though we serve him but poorly. O Lord, we thank you for present refreshments in the use of the good things you have created, and for your love to our souls in Jesus Christ, which sweetens all things. Pardon our sins, continue to do us good, provide for the poor that are destitute of daily food, fit us for your whole will, and be our God and guide and portion forever; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Another.

We thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for all the gifts both of your providence and of your grace; for those blessings which relate to the life we now have, and of the life to come, and for the use of the good things you have created at this time. Make complete, O God, all that we need. Nourish our souls with the bread of life to life eternal, and let us be those who will eat bread in the kingdom of our Father; for Christ Jesus’ sake, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Source: Modified from Miscellaneous Writings of Matthew Henry, (Wikipedia: Matthew Henry, d. 1714)

You Know Our Needs before We Ask

Almighty God,
you know our needs before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking:
Set your servants free
from all anxious thoughts about the future,
give us contentment with your good gifts,
and confirm our faith
that as we seek your kingdom,
you will not let us lack any good thing;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Augustine of Hippo

Source of this version: Parish Prayers, Compiled and edited by Frank Colquhoun
Hodder and Stoughton, 1967

http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/print_w_comments/62035/

Version in traditional English:

Almighty God, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: Set free thy servants from all anxious thoughts for the morrow; give us contentment with thy good gifts; and confirm our faith that according as we seek thy kingdom, thou wilt not suffer us to lack any good thing, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A similar prayer is found in the prayer books of the Church of England:

ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: We beseech thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source of this version: The Shorter Prayer Book (1946)

Let Our Mouths Be Filled with Your Praise

Let our mouths be filled with your praise, O Lord,
that we may sing of your glory,
for you have permitted us to partake
of your holy, divine, immortal and life-giving mysteries.
Preserve us in your holiness,
that we may meditate on your righteousness all the day long.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Source: Liturgy of John Chrysostom and Basil the Great

Source of this version: http://www.orthodoxyork.org/

In the hymn ‘Thy Strong Word‘ by Martin Franzmann, stanza 5 may be based on this prayer.

For the Spirit of Prayer

O almighty God,
every good prayer comes from you,
and you pour out the Spirit of grace and prayer
on all who desire it.
Deliver us from coldness of heart
and wanderings of mind
when we draw near you,
that with steadfast thoughts
and warmed affections
we may worship you in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: William Bright, Ancient Collects, p. 233 #1

This prayer was written by William Bright himself “in imitation of the ancient model.”

Original in traditional English:

O Almighty God, from Whom every good prayer cometh, and Who pourest out on all who desire it the Spirit of grace and supplications; deliver us, when we draw nigh to Thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind; that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship Thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Your Light We See Light

O God,
you are the Well of Life,
and in your Light we see light.
Give us your living water when we thirst
and enlighten our darkened minds with heavenly light;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 34 #1 (Trinity 12)

A Doxology

A Doxology from the Antiphonary of Bangor

Bangor Doxology

We worship you, eternal Father.
We call on you, eternal Son.
And we confess you, Holy Spirit,
dwelling in one divine unity.

One God in three persons,
we give you praise and thanks,
and ask that we may join our voices
to sing in your unending praise,
now and forever.

Source: Antiphonary of Bangor, ninth century

Source of this version: Translated and reworked from the Latin text for A Collection of Prayers.

Translation of Doxology “Te Patrem adoremus aeternum” by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Original in Latin:

123. Post laudate pueri dominum in dominico die.

Te Patrem adoramus aeternum.
Te sempiternum Filium invocamus.
Teque Spiritum Sanctum
in una divinitatis substantia manentem confitemur.

Tibi uni Deo in Trinitate
debitas laudes et gratias referimus,
ut te incessabili voce laudare mereamur,
per aeterna saecula saeculorum.

The Antiphonary of Bangor and The Divine Offices of Bangor is now available in paperback through Amazon.com. It is also available for Amazon Kindle. This is a new translation of the entire Antiphonary into comtemporary liturgical English.

Help Us

Antiphon

Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. (Psalm 79:8 ESV)

Prayer

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. O Lord, deliver us, and forgive us our sins, for your name’s sake. Protect the souls who confess to you, and finally, do not forget souls of the poor. Remember your covenant, O Lord, who lives and reigns, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Antiphonary of Bangor, ninth century

Source of this version: Translated and reworked from the Latin text for A Collection of Prayers.

Translation of “Adjuva nos, Deus, salutaris noster / Help us, O God of our salvation” is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Original in Latin:

40. Oratio communis fratrum
Ant. Ne memineris iniquitatum nostrarum antiquarum; cito anticipent nos misericordiae tuae, quia pauperes facti sumus nimis.
Oratio. Adjuva nos, Deus, salutaris noster, propter gloriam nominis tui. Domine, libera nos, et propitius esto peccatis nostris propter nomen tuum. Ne tradas bestiis animam confitentem tibi. Animas pauperum tuorum ne obliviscaris in finem. Respice in testamentum tuum. Domine Qui regnas &c

Our Hope and Salvation

You are our hope and salvation.
You are our life and strength.
You are our helper in troubles.
You are our defender throughout life
in all things, God of Israel,
who lives and reigns,
one God,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Antiphonary of Bangor, ninth century

Source of this version: Translated and reworked from the Latin text for A Collection of Prayers.

Translation of Prayer “Tu es spes et salus / You are our hope and salvation” by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

39. Item ad matutinam

Tu es spes et salus. Tu es vita et virtus. Tu es adjutor in tribulationibus. Tu es defensor animarum nostrarum. Deus Israel in omnibus, Qui regnas &c.

A Morning Prayer

O Lord, you are the light in the darkness,

Creator of all of the elements,

Forgiver of our sins;

O Lord, may your great mercy be on us

as we seek you with our whole heart.

We hear of your majesty, O Lord, in the morning.

Blot out our sins,

for nothing is hidden from you,

who lives and reigns,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Source: Antiphonary of Bangor, ninth century

Source of this version: Translated and reworked from the Latin text for A Collection of Prayers.

Translation of Prayer “Tu es, Domine, illuminator caliginum / O Lord, you are the light in the darkness,” by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Original in Latin:

38. Ad matutinam.

Tu es, Domine, illuminator caliginum, conditorque elementorum, remissor criminum; misericordia tua, Domine, magna est super eos qui te toto corde requirunt. Majestas tua, Domine, mane nos exaudiat, et deleat delicta nostra quae tibi non sunt abdita, Qui regnas, &c.