O our Lord and God,
do not look on our many sins,
and do not turn away
because of the seriousness of our iniquities.
In your unspeakable grace
sanctify your servants,
forget our many sins,
and be merciful when you will appear at the end of time,
in the Man whom you have appointed to be our judge,
that we may receive your grace and mercy,
and praise you with all your holy ones. Amen.
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953
“In your unspeakable grace …” Original: “through Thine unspeakable grace sanctify this sacrifice of Thine, and grant through it power and capability, so that Thou mayest forget our many sins…”
Prayers from the Ancient Celtic Church is a collection of prayers from the time of Patrick (d. ca. 460-493) to the Synod of Whitby (664), and also from the Celtic Christian tradition that remained after Whitby. A few of the prayers in this book may be familiar from their appearance in other prayer books. Some may be appearing in English for the first time. All prayers (with one exception) are rendered or revised into contemporary English with the hopes that they will be useful in private and corporate worship.
Includes prayers from The Antiphonary of Bangor, The Lorrha-Stowe Missal, The Book of Cerne, The Book of Dimma, St. Patrick, St. Columba and many other sources.
Almighty God,
with Fatherly tenderness
receive those who flee from your anger,
that those who dread the scourge that comes from your majesty
may rejoice in your forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Lord,
shine your light into our hearts
that we may see the light of your commandments,
walk in your way and fall into no error;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ,
as a child, you increased in wisdom and stature,
you listened to your teachers and asked them questions.
Bless those who learn that they may grow in knowledge
of their Maker, Redeemer, Life-giver,
and of your glorious world we live in.
Bless those who teach,
that they may share the wisdom
they have received from above,
and that they may do their work
with patience and love
that reflect your mercy that endures forever.
You yourself are the Great Teacher.
Instruct all of us in your commandments:
to show love by glorifying you and serving our neighbors.
Disciple all of us with your holy Gospel:
to be forgiven, renewed and empowered
through your life, death and resurrection.
Fill our hearts with wonder and excitement
as we see your divine design in math and science,
as we see your hand in history,
as we learn to glorify you through art and music,
as we learn to know our neighbors,
their hopes, their hurts, their needs,
that your love may flow through us to them.
Your holy Word also tells us,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
By your power, help us increase in wisdom,
never ceasing to learn all the days of our lives,
until we sit at your feet in your Kingdom;
where with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
you live and reign, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
O Lord,
extend your mercy over all your servants everywhere
with the right hand of heavenly help,
that they may seek you with their whole heart,
and obtain what they rightly ask;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God of hope,
you are the true light of the faithful,
the perfect brightness of the blessed,
and the true light of your Church.
Grant that our hearts may humbly pray to you
and always offer you our praise
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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This lorica (breastplate) prayer is called “Alexander’s Breastplate” because it is between two poems about Alexander the Great in the Welsh Book of Taliesin.
On the face of the earth his equal was not born, Three persons of God, one gentle Son in the glorious Trinity. Son of the Godhead, Son of the Manhood, one wonderful Son. Son of God, a fortress, Son of the blessed Mary, Son, Servant, Lord. Great his destiny, great God supreme, in heavenly glory. Of the race of Adam and Abraham, and of the line of David, the eloquent psalmist, was he born. By a word he healed the blind and deaf from every ailment; the gluttonous, vain iniquitous, vile, perverse, to rise toward the Trinity by their redemption. The Cross of Christ is our shining breastplate against every ailment. Against every hardship may it certainly be our city of refuge.
Source: Book of Taliesin, Welsh, 10th-14th Century, excerpt The Four Ancient Books of Wales, 1868, p. 557-558.
Source of this version: Prayers from the Ancient Celtic Church.
Original in Old Welsh:
Ar clawr eluyd y gystedlyd ny ryanet. Teir person duw. vn mab adwyn terwyn trinet. Mab yr dwydit. mab yr dyndit. vn mab ryued. Mab duw dinas. mab gwen meirgwas. mat gwas gwelet. O hil ade ac abrahae yn ryanet. O hil dofyd dogyn dwfynwedyd llu ryanet. Dyduc o eir deill abydeir o pop aelet. Pobyl ginhiawc. goec gamwedawc salw amnyned. Rydrychafom erbyn trindawt gwedy gwaret. Croes cristyn glaer. lluryc llachar rac pop aelat. Rac pop anuaws poet yn dilis dinas diffret.
Let us pray, brothers, to the Lord our God for our brother _____, who now suffers under severe hardships, that the goodness of the Lord may heal him with heavenly medicine. May he who has given the soul, also preserve it; through our Lord. [1]
To the almighty living God, who restores and strengthens all his works, let us pray, dear brothers, for our sick brother, that either in renewal or recovery the creature may feel the hand of the creator; in the man of his making may the tender Father recreate his work; through our Lord. [2]
O Lord, holy Father, author of the universe, almighty and eternal God, to whom all are alive. You bring the dead to life and call things that are not as those that are. Since you are the maker, in love do your work for this person you have fashioned; through our Lord. [3]
To God, in whose hands are the support of the living and the life of the dead, we pray that this infirm body may be cured and this soul be healed, that what he does not deserve by merit, he may receive by our prayers for your mercy’s sake; through our Lord. [4]
O God, you do not desire the death of a sinner but that he turn and live. Forgive the sins of this man who has turned to you with all his heart, and give him the grace of eternal life; through our Lord. [5]
O God, you always govern your creatures with tender affection. Hear our prayers for your servant _____, who is suffering from bodily sickness. Visit him with your deliverance, and give him the medicine of your heavenly grace; through our Lord. [6]
Source: The Book of Dimma, 7th century. Prayer #6 is also found in Gelasian sources.
Oremus, fratres, dominum deum nostrum pro fratre nostro .n. quem duri adpresens malum langoris adulcerat, ut eum domini pietas caelestibus dignetur curare medicinis ; qui dedit animam det etsalutem, perdominum nostrum. [1]
Deum uiuum omnipotentem, cui omnia opera restaurare [et] confirmare facillimum est, fratres carissimi, profratre nostro infirmo supliciter oremus, quo creatura manum sentiat creatoris aut inreparando aut inrecipiendo ; inhomine suo pius pater opus suum recreare dignetur, perdominum nostrum. [2]
Domine, sancte pater, uniuersitatis auctor, omnipotens aeternae deus, cui cuncta uiuunt, qui uiuificas mortuos et uocas ea quae non sunt, tanquam ea quae sunt, tuum solitum opus, qui es artifex, pie exerce in hoc plasmate tuo, perdominum. [3]
Deum in cuius manu tam alitus uiuentis quam uita morientis, fratres dilectissimi, deprecemur, ut corporis huius infirmitatem sanet et animae salutem prestet; ut quod per meritum non meretur, misericordiae gratia consequatur, orantibus nobis, perdominum. [4]
Deus, qui non uis mortem peccatoris, sed ut conuertatur et uiuat, huic adte excorde conuerso peccata dimite, et perennis uitae tribu[e] gratiam, perdominum. [5]
Deus, qui facturam tuam pio semper do[mi]nares afectu, inclina aurem tuam suplicantibus nobis tibi; ad famulum tuum .n. aduersitate ualitudinis corporis laborantem placitus respice; uisita eum insalutare tuo, et caelestis gratiae ad medicamentum, per dominum. [6]
Prayers from the Ancient Celtic Church is now available 
Almighty God,
A Collection of Prayers 