A Collection of Prayers

For Heavenly-Mindedness

O merciful God,
fill our hearts with the graces of your Holy Spirit,
with love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance.
Teach us to love those who hate us,
to pray for those who spitefully use us,
that we may be the children of you, our Father.
You make your sun to shine on the evil and on the good,
and send rain on the just and on the unjust.
In adversity grant us grace to be patient.
In prosperity keep us humble.
Help us guard the door of our lips,
to give little regard for the pleasures of this world,
and to thirst after heavenly things;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

For Our Friends

O fountain of love,
love our friends and teach them to love you with all their hearts,
that they may think and speak and do
only what is pleasing to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Mozarabic Christmas Prayer and Acclamation

Glory to you always,
highest Father and Lord.
Today you sent from the heavens
our Lord Jesus Christ
as our Savior,
whom you foretold
by ancient prophets,
and now have revealed him
as the son of the virgin Mary.

Today, lying in the manger,
is the bread of eternal life,
and a great light
shines on nations
who walked in darkness.

Today the peace for the nations
comes down from heaven,
and the gift of eternity
is granted to us all.

Today the divine treasury
is opened up for us,
and the light of the Holy Spirit
shines upon all.

Now the true light
comes into the world.
He restores sight to the blind
and health to the paralyzed
and strength to the infirm
and firmness to the weak.

Today the true resurrection
of the dead is brought forth,
the way, the truth
and the life of the living.

Therefore we pray, true Trinity, our God,
that as you share with us
the joys of your nativity,
you would also lead us
to live lives to your glory
by this yearly devotion.
So that after this life in the flesh
we may join with all the saints
in the glorious fatherland of the heavens;
through your mercy, our God,
you are blessed
and live and rule all things
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely translated from the Mozarabic Rite, from a document at the University of St. Thomas.

Original in Latin:

Tibi semper gloria, summe Pater ac Domine, qui hodie e caelis Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum nobis salvatorem mittere dignatus es, quem prophetorum olim vaticiniis intonasti, et nunc ex Maria Virgine natum manifestasti.

Hodie nobis est in praesepio positus, perpetuae vitae panis, et lux magna reddita est terris.

Hodie pax civium est prolata supernorum, et nobis omnibus conceditur perpetuitatis donum.

Hodie divinus est nobis reseratus thesaurus, et lux reddita est omnibus, quem prodiit Spiritus Sanctus.

Nunc verum lumen apparuit mundo, qui medicus est caecorum, et sanitas paraliticorum, atque infirmantium virtus, et debilium firmamentum.

Hodie vera est prolata resurrectio mortuorum, via, veritas et vita viventium.

Quaesumus igitur, vera Trinitas, Deus noster, ut qui nos fecisti nativitatis tuae suscipere gaudia, facias, quoque annua devotione immaculatam habere vitam. Ut post carnae claustra mereamur adunari cum omnibus sanctis in caelorum patria gloriosa.

R. Amen.

O Emmanuel…

December 23

O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Source: The O Antiphons

Source of this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons, also in Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 21

Latin:

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

Isaiah had prophesied:

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

(Emmanuel means God is with us).

O King of the nations…

December 22

O King of the nations, and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.

Source: The O Antiphons

Source of this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons, also in Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 21

Latin:

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.

Isaiah had prophesied:

“For a child has been born for us, a son given us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4

Also compare Isaiah 28:16 and Ephesians 2:14

O Morning Star…

December 21

O Morning Star,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those
who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Source: The O Antiphons

Source of this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons, also in Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 21

Latin:

O Oriens,
splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

Isaiah had prophesied:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2

Also compare Isaiah 60:1-2 and Malachi 4:2

O Key of David…

December 20

O Key of David and sceptre of the House of Israel;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Source: The O Antiphons

Source of this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons, also in Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 20

Latin:

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel;
qui aperis, et nemo claudit;
claudis, et nemo aperit:
veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

Isaiah had prophesied:

“I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open.” Isaiah 22:22
“His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore.” Isaiah 9:7
“…To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.”Isaiah 42:7.

O Root of Jesse…

December 19

O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples;
before you kings will shut their mouths,
to you the nations will make their prayer:
Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.

Source: The O Antiphons

Source of this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons, also in Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 20

Latin:

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

Isaiah had prophesied:

“A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1
“On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10

Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Also compare Isaiah 45:14, Isaiah 52:15 and Romans 15:12.

O Adonai…

December 18

O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

Source: The O Antiphons

Source of this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons, also in Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 20

Latin:

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,
qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

Isaiah had prophesied:

“[…] but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.” Isaiah 11:4-5
“For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, the Lord is our king; he will save us.” Isaiah 33:22

Also compare Exodus 3:2 and Exodus 24:12

O Wisdom…

December 17

O Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.

Source: The O Antiphons

Source of this version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Antiphons, also in Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 20

Latin:

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

Isaiah had prophesied:

“The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2-3
“[…] he is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wisdom.” Isaiah 28:29