Christian Prayer – Page 87 – A Collection of Prayers

Two Ascension Prayers

Ascension_Painting Almighty God, grant us such faith in your only Son, our Savior, who this day ascended into heaven, that we may live each day with our hearts and spirits fixed on him; through your dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Dearest Lord God, our merciful Father in heaven, we see that this festival of the ascension of our Lord Christ is full of comfort and joy, and for this we praise and thank you. We pray that you would keep us in your grace, and finally grant us a blessed end, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son, that we may follow where he has led us and enjoy eternal life and salvation, sitting at his right hand. Grant this to us, dearest Lord. Amen.

Source: Martin Luther, freely translated for A Collection of Prayers. German source: Gebetbuch, enthaltend die sämtlichen Gebete und Seufzer Martin Luther’s, ….Evangelischer Bücher-Verein, 1866, #614, 615.

Originals in German:

614. Allmächtiger Gott, verleihe uns, die wir glauben, daß dein einiger Sohn, unser Heiland, sei heut gen Himmel gefahren, daß auch wir mit ihm geistlich im geistlichen Wesen wandeln und wohnen; durch denselben deinen lieben Sohn, Jesum Christum, unsern Herrn. Amen. Luther. [Die Gebete Luthers, #19]

615. Lieber Herr Gott, unser gnädiger Vater im Himmel, wir sehen, wie ein tröstlich und freudenreich Fest wir an der Himmelfahrt unsers lieben Herrn Christi haben; derhalben loben, danken und preisen wir dich und bitten, du wollest uns in solcher Gnade erhalten, und endlich um Jesu Christi, deines Sohnes willen, ein selig Stündlein bescheren, daß wir ihm selig nachfahren und das ewige Leben und Seligkeit samt ihm besitzen. Das verleihe uns, lieber Herr. Amen. Luther. [Die Gebete Luthers, #673]

Ascension Antiphon / Prayer

Ascension_Painting O King of glory, Lord almighty,
on this day you ascended above all the heavens in triumph.
Do not leave us as orphans,
but send us the Spirit of truth
whom you promised from the Father.
Alleluia.

Source: Antiphon to the Magnificat for Second Vespers at Ascension (Roman Rite). Sometimes attributed to The Venerable Bede (672-735).

Original in Latin:

O Rex gloriae, Domine virtutum,
qui triumphator hodie super omnes coelos ascendisti;
ne derelinquas nos orphanos,
sed mitte promissum Patris in nos,
spiritum veritatis.
Alleluia.

For more reflections on this prayer / antiphon, see this article: http://www.liturgy.co.nz/reflection/603a.html

Ascension Day Acclamation

The Lord ascended into heaven
so that he could send
the Comforter into this world.

Today the Father receives again to his side
the One who was in him from all eternity.

O you nations of the earth, clap your hands,
for Christ has gone up
to the place where he had been from all eternity.

Source: Ascension Day, Orthodox

This version is shortened from The Oxford Book of Prayer and http://standrewsinthevalley-thursdaymemos.blogspot.com/2011/06/

Prayer for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

O Christ, true Son of God,
Lamb who was slain, now risen in glory,
listen to our prayers.
Grant that we may die to all that is evil,
and rise to good works;
through your mercy, O our God,
you are blessed,
and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 27 #2 (Easter 3)

“Lamb who was slain, now risen in glory” is a reference to Revelation 5:12

“die to all that is evil” is a reference to Romans 6:11

Prayer for the Third Sunday of Easter

O God, our Light and our Salvation,
by your holy inspiration
teach us what we ought to do,
and by your grace give us the power to do it;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 27 #1 (Easter 2)

“O God, our Light and our Salvation” is a reference to Psalm 27:1

O Christ, Splendor of Light Eternal

The Last Chapter O Christ, our Morning Star,
Splendor of Light Eternal,
shining with the glory of the rainbow,
come and waken us
from the greyness of our apathy,
and renew in us your gift of hope.
Amen.

Source: The Venerable Bede (672–735)

Source of this version: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=3213

Pascal’s Prayer

Lord, help me to do great things
as though they were little,
since I do them with your power;
and little things
as though they were great,
since I do them in your name.

Source: Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)

Source of this version: Our Daily Bread

Prayer for the Second Sunday of Easter

O Lion of the tribe of Judah, O Root of David,
enlighten our hearts and minds with your true wisdom,
that we who rejoice in your Resurrection,
may join with your blessed ones,
and with all the heavenly host in your kingdom
in praising your glorious name;
with the Father and the Holy Spirit
you live and reign,
ever one God,
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 26 #2 (Easter 1)

“O Lion of the tribe of Judah, O Root of David” is a reference to Revelation 5:5

The Itinerarium

The Itinerarium is a short service similiar to the Suffrages, which included special prayers for travel.

Into the way of peace.

THE BENEDICTUS (Luke 1:68-79)

Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited us and prepared redemption for his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
just as he said long ago through the mouth of his holy prophets.
He raised up salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
in order to show mercy to our fathers by remembering his holy covenant,
the oath which he swore to Abraham our father,
to grant deliverance to us from the hand of our enemies,
that we are able to serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
because you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins,
because of God’s tender mercies,
by which the Rising Sun from on high will visit us,
to shine on those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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.

May the almighty and merciful Lord lead us into the way of peace, and may his holy angels be with us on our way that that we may come to our home again in peace, health, and gladness.

LORD, HAVE MERCY

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

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

PRECES (Responsive Verses)

O God, save your servants who trust in you. (Psalm 86:2)
O Lord, send us help from the holy place. Support us from Zion. (Psalm 20:2)

You have been a refuge for us, a tower of strength in the face of the enemy. (Psalm 61:3)
Do not let the enemy overcome us. Do not let our foes rejoice when we fall. (from Psalm 13:4)

Blessed be the Lord.
Day by day he bears our burdens. He is the God who saves us. (Psalm 68:19)

Make known to us your ways, O Lord.
Teach us your paths. (Psalm 25:4)

If only our ways were unwavering in keeping your statutes! (Psalm 119:5)
The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain. (Isaiah 40:4)

He will give a command to his angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)

O Lord, hear my prayer,
and let my cry for help come to you. (Psalm 102:1)

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray.

(One or more of the following prayers may be read.)

O God, you made the children of Israel walk with dry feet through the midst of the sea, and by the guiding of a star you showed the wise men from the east the way that led to you. Grant us a safe and quiet journey. Let your holy angel accompany us during our pilgrimage, that in the end we may attain the haven of eternal salvation.

O God, you called your servant Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, and you kept him from evil on all the paths of his pilgrimage. O Lord, keep us. Be our help when we go forward, our comfort by the way, our shadow from the heat, our covering from the rain and the cold, our chariot when we are weary, our refuge in trouble, our staff on uncertain paths, our safety in disaster. Lead us that we may happily reach our destination and return home safely.

O Lord, direct our journeys in the safe path that leads to salvation in you, that with the many changes of this life’s pilgrimage your protection may always shield us.

O almighty God, guide your family on the path of salvation, and by listening to the preaching of the blessed forerunner John the Baptist, we may behold the Lamb whom John pointed to, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Let us go forth in peace.
In the name of the Lord. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from http://preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Varia/Itinerarium.html. See the article on the Itinerarium in the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia.

The same rite is also found in the Breviary Offices of Sarum.

Scripture is from the Evangelical Heritage Version (www.wartburgproject.org).

The couplet, “Blessed be the Lord. Day by day …” in the original is “V. Blessed be the Lord daily. R. The God of our salvation maketh our way prosperous.”

The end of the prayer “O God, you called your servant Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees…” “our safety in disaster” in the original reads “our refuge in shipwreck.”

Gracious King, Forgive, Intercede, Restore

O Lord Jesus Christ,
true God and true man,
you died for our sins on the cross,
and you rose again from death,
and live and reign forever
as our mediator and gracious King.
Graciously forgive us our sins,
intercede for us poor sinners,
make us righteous
and sanctify and reign in us
with your Holy Spirit
to bring us to eternal life.
Gather now your eternal church
from every land.
Give us good government,
and protect us
from the power of the evil foe;
for you live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
forever and ever.
Amen.

Source: Die pommersche Kirchen-Ordnung und Agenda, p. 289-290

“as our mediator and gracious King” in the original is “as our mediator and mercy seat,” which is a reference to the lid of the ark of the covenant, which was Luther’s translation of hilasterion in Romans 3:25. Most English translations render hilasterion it as ‘propitiation’ or ‘sacrifice of atonement.’

Original in German:

O Herr Jesu Christe, wahrer Gott und Mensch, der du für unsre Sünde am Kreuz gestorben bist und wiederum vom Tode auferstanden, lebest und regierest in Ewigkeit, und bist zum Mittler und Gnadenstuhl verordnet: wir bitten dich, du wollest uns gnädiglich unsre Sünden vergeben und für uns arme Sünder Fürbitter sein und uns gerecht machen, und mit deinem heiligen Geist zum ewigen Leben heiligen und regieren. Du wollest auch zu allen Zeiten in diesen Landen dir eine ewige Kirche sammeln und gut Regiment geben und uns wider des bösen Feindes Gewalt bewahren, der du mit dem Vater und dem heiligen Geist lebest und regierest von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit. Amen. Pommersche Agende.