Table Prayers

Prayers at Table
Before the Meal

Almighty God, the eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. Bless the earthly bounty you have provided now before us. Let these nourish and strengthen our frail bodies, that we may better serve you; through Jesus Christ. Amen. [1]

or thus:

Let your blessing, almighty God, descend on this portion of your bounty, and on us, your unworthy servants; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [2]

or thus:

Almighty God, pardon our sins, bless the refreshment now before us to our use, and bless us to your service; through Jesus Christ. Amen. [3]

or thus:

Father of lights, every good and perfect gift comes down from you. Enable us to receive these fruits of your bounty with humility and gratitude, and give us grace, that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we may do all to your glory, and be accepted  through the great Redeemer. Amen. [4]

or thus:

Bounteous God, we acknowledge our dependence on you and our unworthiness of your benefits. Forgive our sins, bless us in the reception of this food, and enable us to improve the strength we may derive from it to your glory, for Christ’s sake. Amen. [5]

or thus:

O Lord, sanctify your gifts to our use, and us to your service, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [6]

or thus:

We praise you, O God, for covering our table with plenty, and for the present opportunity of partaking of your bounties. Nourish our bodies with these provisions of your hand, and our souls with the bread of life, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [7]

or thus:

We thank you, heavenly Father, for this portion of your bounty. You daily supply our returning wants, despite our ungratefulness. Help us to be deeply sensible of your goodness and mercy. Bless the provision now before us to our use, forgive our sins, and in the end save us through Christ, our Lord. Amen. [8]

or thus:

Father of mercies, we praise you for permitting us again to sit down and partake of the provisions of your earthly bounty. Feed our souls with the bread of life. Pardon our numerous offenses, and own us at last in heaven for Christ’s sake. Amen. [9]

or thus:

Bountiful giver of all good and perfect gifts, you are never weary of supplying our returning wants. Grant that the food of which we are about to partake may contribute to the comfort and support of our bodies, and enable us to engage with more zeal in your service, we ask for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen. [10]

After the Meal

What shall we return to you, O God, for all your benefits? Every day of our lives we are receiving fresh tokens of your favor. Oh, let your goodness lead us to repentance. And if we can do no more than express our gratitude, help us to do that in the sincerity of our souls, and yours shall be the glory, forever; through Jesus Christ. Amen. [11]

or thus:

Accept, heavenly Father, our humble thanks for this and for all your blessings; through Jesus Christ. Amen. [12]

or thus:

We praise you , O Lord, for the provisions of your providence and grace, and in particular for this renewed token of your favor. May we feel our increased obligations to be your, and be prepared at last to eat bread in your heavenly kingdom; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. [13]

or thus:

We praise you, O Lord, for this kind refreshment. Continue your favors, and feed us with the bread of life. Supply the wants of the needy; and enable us, while we live on your bounty, to live to your glory; for Christ’s sake. Amen. [14]

or thus:

We praise and magnify your holy name, O Lord, for this and all other blessings bestowed on us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [15]

or thus:

O God, for all your mercies, for the food that supports our bodies and the grace that sustains our souls we bless and praise your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [16]

Source: Prayers for the use of families… by Albert Barnes, 1850

In traditional English:

Prayers at Table
Before Meat

Almighty God ! the eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Bless, we beseech thee, the provisions of thine earthly bounty, which are now before us; and let them nourish and strengthen our frail bodies, that we may the better serve thee, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

or thus:

Let thy blessing, Almighty God, descend on this portion of thy bounty, and on us, thy unworthy servants, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

Almighty God, we beseech thee to pardon our sins, to bless the refreshment now before us to our use, and us to thy service, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

or thus:

Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift, enable us to receive these fruits of thy bounty with humility and gratitude, and give us grace, that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we may do all to thy glory, and be accepted
through the great Redeemer. Amen.

or thus:

Bounteous God, we acknowledge our dependence on thee, and our unworthiness of thy benefits. We pray thee to forgive our sins ; to bless us in the reception of this food, and enable us to improve the strength we may derive from it to thy glory, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

or thus:

Sanctify, O Lord, we beseech thee, these thy productions to our use, and us to thy service, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

We bless thee, O God, for covering our table with plenty, and for the present opportunity of partaking of thy bounties. Nourish our bodies with these provisions of thy hand, and our souls with the bread of life, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

We thank thee, heavenly Father, for this portion of thy bounty. Thou dost daily supply our returning wants, notwithstanding our ungratefulness. Oh help us to be deeply sensible of thy goodness and mercy. Bless the provision now before us to our use, forgive our sins, and in the end save us through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

Father of mercies, we praise thee for permitting us again to sit down and partake of the provisions of thine earthly bounty. Do thou feed our souls with the bread of life. Pardon our numerous offenses, and own us at last in heaven for Christ’s sake. Amen.

or thus:

Bountiful giver of all good and perfect gifts! thou art never weary of supplying our returning wants. Grant, we pray thee, that the food of which we are about to partake, may contribute to the comfort and support of our bodies, and enable us to engage with
more zeal in thy service, which we ask, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

AFTER MEAT.
What shall we render to thee, O God, for all thy benefits? Every day of our lives we are receiving fresh tokens of thy favor. Oh, let thy goodness lead us to repentance. And if we can do no more than express our gratitude, help us to do that in the sincerity of our souls, and thine shall be the glory, forever, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

or thus:

Accept, heavenly Father, our humble thanks for this and for all thy blessings, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

or thus:

We praise thee, O Lord, for the provisions of thy providence and grace, and in particular for this renewed token of thy favor. May we feel our increased obligations to be thine, and be fitted at length to eat bread in thy heavenly kingdom, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

or thus:

We bless thee, O Lord, for this kind refreshment. Be pleased to continue thy favors, and feed us with the bread of life. Supply the wants of the needy; and enable us, while we live on thy bounty, to live to thy glory, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

or thus:

We would praise and magnify thy holy name, O Lord, for this and all other blessings bestowed upon us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

O God, for all thy mercies for the food that supports our bodies and the grace that sustains our souls, we bless and praise thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymnal and Order of Service, Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod, 1925

Hymnal_Augustana.pngThe Hymnal and Order of Service was published by the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in 1925. It contained a liturgical section that was not typical of Lutheran hymnals of the time, probably due to Augustana’s Swedish heritage. Along with Swedish service music, there is also some by English composer Sir John Stainer. It contains a version of the Common Service, along with the introits, collects and graduals. It also contains The Holy Communion with Full Service, and The Holy Communion without Full Service, Matins on Christmas Day, Matins on Easter Sunday, Vespers, the Litany, and Occasional Prayers, along with orders for Baptism, Confirmation and Burial. The Communion services, Matins and Vespers are notably different from the Common Service and traditional Matins and Vespers. 

Unfortunately, The Hymnal and Order of Service is not available through Google Books or Archive.org. Hymns, along with page scans, are available at Hymnary.org.

It contained a set of “General Morning and Evening Prayers” that included prayers by Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther, Loehe and others.

We make electronic versions of some of the services and other materials available here: 

  1. The Service (text only, traditional English) [pdf] [docx] 
  2. The Holy Communion with the Full Service (text only, traditional English) [pdf][docx] 
  3. Vespers (text only, traditional English) [pdf] [docx]
  4. The Litany (text identical to that in Common Service Book) [pdf] [docx]
  5. General Morning and Evening Prayers (revised, in contemporary language) [pdf]  [docx] 

The Hymnal and Order of Service also contained services from the Common Service project. Here are links to the resources from our Common Service Book page:

  1. Morning and Holy Communion [pdf] [docx]
  2. Introits, Collects, Epistles, Graduals and Gospels  [pdf] [docx]
  3. Vespers [pdf] [docx]
  4. Order for Public Confession (not in all editions of The Hymnal and Order of Service) [pdf] [docx]

A Doxology

To the only God invisible,
the Father of truth,
who sent to us
the Savior and prince of immortality,
through whom also he revealed to us
the truth and the heavenly light.
To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Source: Third or fourth century papyrus

Source of this version: The New Archaeological Discoveries and their Bearing upon the New Testament by Camdem McCormick Cobern, Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1918, p. 277

 

Doxology from an Ancient Sermon

He is the Light; therefore is he the Sun of our souls.
He is the Life; therefore we live in him.
He is Holiness; therefore is he the slayer of sin.
He is Salvation ; therefore it is he who has purchased
the whole world with his blood.
He is the Resurrection; therefore it is he who has set free
those who are in the tomb,
and has made them new a second time by his blood.
He is the Way; therefore he is the guide to his Father.
He is the Door; therefore he is the guide into paradise.
He is the Shepherd; therefore he is the seeker after the sheep which is lost.
He is the Lamb; therefore he is the cleanser of the world from its impurity.
This is my God; I will ascribe glory to him,
for to him belong glory and power for all ages and ages. Amen.

Source: Sermon on a papyrus, possibly 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. 289

Sarum Kyrie eleison. No. 9.

IX. Kyrie, Orbis Factor

Maker of the world, King eternal, have mercy on us.

Fount of boundless pity, have mercy on us.

Drive away from us all that is harmful, have mercy on us.

Christ, the Light of the world, giver of life, have mercy on us.

Look on those wounded by the craft of the devil; have mercy on us.

You preserve those who believe on you, and you strengthen them, have mercy on us.

Your Father, you, and the Spirit proceeding from both, have mercy on us.

We know you to be one God, and three persons, have mercy on us.

Be present with us, O Counselor, that we may live in you, have mercy on us.

Source: The Sarum Missal in English, Part II, Alcuin Club Collections, No. XI

Original in Latin:

Orbis factor rex eterne eleyson.

Pietatis fons immense eleyson.

Noxas omnes nostras pelle eleyson.

Christe qui lux es mundi dator vite eleyson.

Arte lesos demonis intuere eleyson.

Conservans te credentes confirmansque eleyson.

Patrem tuum teque flamen utrorumque eleyson.

Deum scimus unum atque trinum esse eleyson.

Clemens nobis assis Paraclite ut vivamus in te eleyson.

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Sarum Kyrie eleison. No. 8.

VIII. Conditor omnium imas creaturarum

Lord, maker of all creatures, have mercy on us.

Blot out our sins, and without ceasing have mercy on us.

Do not let humanity perish, which you have made, but in your pity, have mercy on us.

Christ, only Son of the Father, born of a virgin, have mercy on us.

By your blood you saved a lost world from death, have mercy on us.

Hear the prayers of those who now call on you,  have mercy on us.

Kindly Spirit, fill us with your grace, have mercy on us.

You procede continually from the Father and the Son, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, three in unity, adored together,  have mercy on us.

Free us from the bonds of our sins. Redeem us from death, have mercy on us.

Let us all now proclaim and sing your praise, O God, have mercy on us.

Source: The Sarum Missal in English, Part II, Alcuin Club Collections, No. XI

Original in Latin:

Conditor kyrrie omnium imas creaturarum eleyson.
Tu nostra delens crimina nobis incessanter eleyson.
Non sinas perire facturam tuam sed clemens ei eleyson.
Christe patris unice natus de uirgine nobis eleyson .
Mundum perditum qui tuo sanguine saluasti de morte eleyson .
Ad te nunc clamantium preces exaudiens pius eleyson .
Spiritus alme tua nos replens gratia eleyson.
A) patre et nato qui manas iugiter nobis eleyson.
Trinitas una trina unitas simul adoranda Nostrorum scelerum uincla resolue redimens a morte Omnes proclamemus nunc uoce dulciflua deus eleyson .

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Sarum Kyrie eleison. No. 7.

VII. Cunctipotens Genitor Deus Omnicreator

Almighty King, God, creator of all things, have mercy on us.

Fountain and source of all good, light everlasting, have mercy on us.

Good ruler, let your loving-kindness save us, and have mercy on us.

Christ, the brightness of God, the strength and wisdom of the Father, have mercy on us.

You made humanity in your image, and you restored us when we fell, have mercy on us.

Do not condemn the work of your hands, Jesus, have mercy on us.

Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son, the bond of love, have mercy on us.

Kindling fire, proceeding from the Father and the Son, fountain of life, purifying force, have mercy on us.

Purger of sin, most excellent bestower of pardon,
blot out our offences, enlighten us with your holy gifts,
O gracious Spirit, have mercy on us.

Source: The Sarum Missal in English, Part II, Alcuin Club Collections, No. XI

Original (or variant text) in Latin:

Cunctipotens genitor deus omnicreator eleyson.
Fons et origo boni, pie, luxque perhennis eleyson.
Saluificet pietas tua nos, bone rector, eleyson.
Christe dei splendor, uirtus, patrisque sophia eleyson.
Plasmatis humani factor lapsi reparator eleyson.
Ne tua damnetur iesu factura benigne eleyson.
Amborum sacrum spiramen, nexus amorque, eleyson.
Procedens fomes uitę fons sensificans uis, eleyson.
Purgator culpę ueniae largitor pie.
Offensas dele sancto nos munere reple Spiritus alme eleyson.

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Sarum Kyrie eleison. No. 6.

VI. Lux et Origo
On Holy Cross Day especially.

O Light, source of the highest light, God over all, have mercy on us. 

All things came to be at your command, have mercy on us.

You alone can have mercy, have mercy on us.

Redeemer of humanity and our salvation, have mercy on us.

By your cross you redeemed us from everlasting death, have mercy on us.

You are the Word of the Father, the author of mercy, and the Light of truth, have mercy on us.

O Counselor, Holy Spirit, God, have mercy on us.

You are our compassionate physician, have mercy on us.

O Holy Trinity and unity, always, have mercy on us.

Source: The Sarum Missal in English, Part II, Alcuin Club Collections, No. XI

A variant text has this in place of the last three petitions above:

O Adonai, Lord God, just Judge, have mercy.
Who governest the engine of things, O nurturing Father, have mercy.
Whom alone becometh praise and honour, now and always, have mercy.

Original in Latin:

Lux et origo lucis summę deus eleyson.
In cuius nutu constant cuncta clemens eleyson.
Qui solus potes misereri nobis eleyson.
O mundi redemptor cunctorum et factor nostri christe eleyson.
Per crucem redemptis a morte perhenni rex pie christe eleyson.
Qui es uerbum patris salus et humana lux uera christe eleyson.
Adonay domine deus iuste iudex eleyson.
Qui machinam gubernas rerum alme pater eleyson.
Quem solum laus et honor decet nunc et semper eleyson.

Original in Latin, with Gregorian notation:

Trope - Lux et origo

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Sarum Kyrie eleison. No. 5.

V. Kyrie Rex Splendens Celi Arce Salue 
On the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels especially.

Lord, King of glory in the fortress of heaven, hail forevermore, and in your loving-kindness, have mercy on us.

The chanting hosts of cherubim proclaim your praise continually, have mercy on us.

The companies of seraphim on high shout to each other in your praise, have mercy on us.

Christ, King enthroned on high, whom the ranks of the angels sing in endless praise, have mercy on us.

Christ, whom the one only Church throughout the whole world sings out, sun and moon, stars, earth, sea: and to whom they evermore do service, have mercy on us.

All the saints, heirs of the glorious eternal kingdom, triumphantly proclaim you in noble strains, have mercy on us.

Gracious offspring of the loving virgin Mary, King of kings, blessed Redeemer, you ransomed us from the power of death by your own blood, have mercy on us.

Most illustrious, unbegotten,  begotten already without beginning, and without effort excelling all things, have mercy on us.

Sun of brilliant glory, dispenser of justice, when you judge all nations, we earnestly pray, in pity, have mercy on us.

Source: The Sarum Missal in English, Part II, Alcuin Club Collections, No. XI

Original in Latin:

Kyrie rex  splendens celi arce salue iugiter et clemens plebi tue semper
ymnidice quem turme cherubin laude perhenniter proclamant incessanter nobis eleyson.
Insigniter caterue precelse et quibus seraphin respondent te  laudantes nostri eleyson.
Christe rex altithrone ordines angelorum nouem quem laudant incessanter pulchre dignare seruis tuis semper eleyson .
Christe quem toto orbe unica ecclesia ymnizat sol et luna astra tellus mare cui et famulantur semper eleyson. ‘
Ipsi idem inclite patrie perpetue heredes sancti omnes digno carmine pro clamant quem ouanter nobis eleyson.
Virginis pie marie o alma proles rex regum benedicte redemptor cruore mercatis  proprio mortis ex potestate semper eleyson .
Insignissime ingenite o genite origine iam expers et fine uirtute excellens omniacaterue huic tue clemens eleyson.
acaterue huic tue clemens eleyson.
Limpidissime glorie sol iusticie arbiter omnes gentes districte dum iudices turme obnixe precamur nunc astanti clemens eleyson.

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