Prayers of the Middle Ages (Potts) – Page 7

For Pardon, Grace, and Guidance

O God,
source of every good and perfect gift,
shed abroad the cheering light of your sevenfold grace over our hearts.
Yes, Spirit of love and gentleness,
help us.
You know our faults, our failings, our needs,
the dullness of our understanding,
the waywardness of our affections,
the perverseness of our will.
When we neglect to practice what we know,
be gracious to us.
Enlighten our minds,
make right our desires,
correct our wanderings,
and pardon our omissions,
so that by your guidance
we may be preserved from making shipwreck of faith,
and keep a good conscience,
at length arrive safe in the haven of eternal rest;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Anselm of Canterbury, 11th century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

Praise, Thanks, Confession of Faith

Glory be to you, almighty Father,
you have given to those who fear you
the heavenly bread of life,
that we may be mindful of the marvels
which you have done on the earth,
by sending us your only Son,
fully human,
born of a pure virgin.
We give you thanks, holy Father,
for you created us before we were,
and while we were still sinners you made us partakers of your heavenly grace;
through your Son, our Lord and God,
who with you and the Holy Spirit
makes, orders, and rules all things, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Dunstan of Canterbury

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

For Forgiveness

God and King,
by your mercy,
pardon the sins of your servant __________.
Deliver him from all the bonds of the enemy
that he may cling to your commandments with all his heart,
and always love you alone with all his strength,
and one day be counted with your blessed ones;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Old Rheims Manuscript, 9th century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954. (New Ancient Collects, #370)

An Acknowledgment of God’s Supremacy

O Father of that Son who has awakened us,
you still urge us out of the sleep of our sins,
and call us to become yours.
To you, Lord, we pray,
you, the supreme truth,
for all truth that is, is from you.
You we implore, O Lord,
the highest wisdom,
through you all who are wise derive their wisdom.
You are the supreme joy,
and from you all who are happy derive their pleasure.
You are the highest good,
and from you all beauty springs.
You are the intellectual light,
and from you we derive our understanding.
To you, O God, we call and speak.
Hear us, O Lord,
for you are our God and our Lord,
our Father and our creator,
our ruler and our hope,
our wealth and our honor,
our home, our country,
our salvation, and our life.
Hear, hear us, O Lord.
Few of your servants comprehend you,
but at least we love you,
yes, we love you above all other things.
We seek you, we follow you,
we are ready to serve you.
We desire to remain under your power,
for you are the Sovereign of all.
Command us as you will;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Source: Alfred the Great, 9th century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

For Strength and Guidance

Lord God Almighty,
shaper and ruler of all creatures,
we pray for your great mercy,
that you guide us towards you,
for we cannot find our way.
And guide us to your will, to the need of our soul,
for we cannot do it ourselves. [1]
And make our mind steadfast in your will
and aware of our soul’s need.
Strengthen us against the temptations of the devil,
and remove from us all lust and every unrighteousness,
and shield us against our foes, seen and unseen.
Teach us to do your will,
that we may inwardly love you before all things with a pure mind.
For you are our maker and our redeemer,
our help, our comfort, our trust, our hope;
praise and glory be to you now and forever.

Source: Alfred the Great, 9th century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954. (New Ancient Collects, #264)

[1] Original translation: “that Thou guide us better than we have done, towards Thee, and guide us to Thy will, to the need of our soul, better than we can ourselves.”

Confession and Prayer for Forgiveness

O Lord, O King,
magnificent in the stronghold of heaven,
always worthy of praise.
In your grace for your people:
have mercy.

Lord,
to whom the hosts of cherubim sing in endless praise:
have mercy.

Lord,
the heavenly armies sing high praise to you,
and the seraphim reply to them:
have mercy.

O Christ,
enthroned as King above,
whom all orders of angels in their beauty praise without ceasing,
on us, your servants, always:
have mercy.

O Christ,
your Church throughout the world sings to you.
The sun, the moon, and stars, the land and sea, always serve you:
have mercy.

O Christ,
your saints, the heirs of the eternal country,
one and all with utter joy proclaim you in a most worthy strain:
have mercy.

O Lord,
O gentle Son of Mary,
O King of Kings,
blessed Redeemer,
on those you have ransomed from the power of death
by your own blood:
have mercy.

O noblest unbegotten, yet begotten Son,
having no beginning of age,
yet excelling all things,
on this your congregation in your pity:
have mercy.

O Sun of Righteousness,
in all unclouded glory,
supreme dispenser of justice,
in that great day when you will come to be our judge,
on this your people, who here stand before your presence,
in your pity:
Lord, then have mercy on us. Amen.

Source: Dunstan of Canterbury
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

Adapted to be a Christmas Kyrie:

O Lord, O King,
magnificent in the stronghold of heaven,
always worthy of praise.
Be gracious to us, your people.
Lord, have mercy.

O Christ, enthroned as King above,
whom all orders of angels in their beauty praise without ceasing,
Be gracious to us, your servants.
Lord, have mercy.

O Christ, your Church throughout the world sings to you.
The sun, the moon, and stars, the land and sea, always serve you.
Be gracious to us, your creatures.
Lord, have mercy.

O Lord, gentle Son of Mary, King of Kings, blessed Redeemer,
be gracious to those you have ransomed from death by your own blood.
Lord, have mercy.

O noblest eternal, yet begotten Son,
having no beginning of age, yet excelling all things,
Be gracious to us, your congregation.
Lord, have mercy. Amen.

Service Builder element link: https://builder.christianworship.com/share/XFBI9d_b

For Christian Graces

O Lord,
give me
purity of lips,
a clean and innocent heart,
and rightness of action.

Give me
humility, patience, abstinence,
chastity, prudence, justice,
courage and self-control.

Give me
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and strength,
the Spirit of knowledge and godliness,
and of your fear.

Always lead me to seek your face
with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind.
Let me have a contrite and humble heart in your presence—
to prefer nothing to your love.

Most high, eternal, and ineffable Wisdom,
drive away from me the darkness of blindness and ignorance.
Most high and eternal Strength, rescue me.
Most high and eternal Courage, help me.
Most high and incomprehensible Light, illuminate me,
Most high and infinite Mercy, have mercy on me. Amen.

Source: Gallican Sacramentary

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

For a Friend Before a Journey

O God,
you always bestow your mercy on those who love you,
and are near those who serve you.
Direct the way of your servant in your will.
Protect and guide him,
that he may walk without stumbling
in the paths of righteousness,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Gallican Sacramentary, 8th century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.

For Illumination

O most merciful God,
incline your loving ears to my prayers
and enlighten my heart with the grace of the Holy Spirit,
that I may worthily administer your sacraments,
love you with an everlasting love,
and be received to everlasting joys;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Gallican Collect/York Missal, Eighth Century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954. (The New Ancient Collects, #557)

For Spiritual Illumination

Hear us,
never-fading Light, Lord our God,
our only Light, Fountain of light,
Light of your angels,
thrones, dominions, principalities, powers,
and of all intelligent beings.
You created the light of your saints.
May our souls be your lamps,
kindled and enlightened by you.
May they shine and burn with the truth,
and never go out in darkness and ashes.
May we be your house,
shining from you, shining in you.
May we shine without fail.
May we ever worship you.
In you may we be kindled and not be extinguished.
Being filled with the splendor
of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
may we shine forth inwardly.
May the gloom of sins be cleared away,
and the light of constant faith abide within us.

Source: Mozarabic Sacramentary, 7th Century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954. (New Ancient Collects, #158)