A Collection of Prayers

Delightful It Is to Serve the King of Kings

Let me bless almighty God,
whose power extends over sea and land,
whose angels watch over all.
Let me study sacred books to calm my soul:

I pray for peace,
kneeling at heaven’s gates.
Let me do my daily work,
gathering seaweed, catching fish,
giving food to the poor.
Let me say my daily prayers,
sometimes chanting, sometimes quiet,
always thanking God.
Delightful it is to live
on a peaceful isle, in a quiet cell,
serving the King of kings.

Source: Attributed to St. Columba, 521-597.

Source of this version: https://daily-prayers.org/angels-and-saints/prayers-of-columba-colomcille-of-ireland/

What Need I Fear?

Alone with none but you, my God
I journey on my way.
What need I fear, when you are near
O King of night and day?
More safe am I within your hand,
Than if a host round me stand.

My destined time is known to you,
And death will keep his hour;
Did warriors strong around me throng,
They could not stay his power:
No walls of stone can man defend
If you your messenger will send.

My life I yield to your decree,
And bow to your control
In peaceful calm, for from your arm
No power can wrest my soul:
Could earthly omens e’er appal
A man that heeds the heavenly call?

The child of God can fear no ill,
His chosen, dread no foe;
We leave our fate with you, and wait
Your bidding when to go:
‘Tis not from chance our comfort springs,
You are our trust, O King of kings.

Source: Attributed to St. Columba, 521-597.

Source of this version: http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/hymn-lyrics/alone_with_none_but_thee_my_god.htm

Guide Me, Today, Tonight and Forever

Be O Lord,
a guiding star above me,
a smooth path below me,
a kindly shepherd behind me
and a bright flame before me;
today, tonight and forever. Amen.

Source: Attributed to St. Columba, 521-597.

Source of this version: https://daily-prayers.org/angels-and-saints/prayers-of-columba-colomcille-of-ireland/

The Antiphonary of Bangor

The Antiphonary of Bangor and The Divine Offices of Bangor is now available in paperback through Amazon.com. It is also available for Amazon Kindle.

BANGOR was the site of an influential abbey and school in northeast Ireland. The Antiphonary of Bangor is a book of canticles and prayers that were used in Bangor Abbey’s liturgies of the hours with special prayers and elements for Easter Eve, Easter Day, Eastertide, Saturdays and Sundays and on festivals of Martyrs. It was written by hand, sometime around A. D. 680. It is significant for two main reasons. It shows us a worship tradition that developed in a different way than the Roman Rite. While some of the canticles, hymns and prayers in the Antiphonary are also found in the Roman Rite, many are unique. It also shows us some of the theology of the Celtic Christians.

Book I – The Antiphonary of Bangor reproduces the Antiphonary with all items in their original order. Reference numbers are from F. E. Warren’s Latin edition.

To have a better understanding of the use of these materials and put the items in order, I have arranged them in Book II – The Divine Offices of Bangor, a hypothetical reconstruction of what a Bangor Book of Hours may have been like, following the directions in the Antiphonary and Warren’s speculations in his notes.

Paul C. Stratman
July 2018

Rest for Those Who Obey Your Word

Image of The Primer in Latin and Englishe (after the vse of Sarum) : with many godlye and deuoute prayers, as in the contentes doth appere. Whereunto is added a playne and godly treatise concerning the Masse, and the blessed Sacramente of the aulter, ... — Title page of the Sarum Primer of 1555, from http://dcc.newberry.org

Lord,
you alone are God,
the gracious and merciful.
You command those who love your name
to cast away all fear and care,
and to lay their burdens on you.
Keep us under your protection,
and give us now and always
that everlasting rest,
which you have promised
to those who obey your word;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Primer of 1555, in Daily Prayer.

Original in traditional English:

Lord, who alone art God, the gracious and merciful; who commandest them that love thy Name to cast away all fear and care, and to lay their burden upon thee: Receive us under thy protection, and give us now and evermore that everlasting rest, which thou hast promised to them that obey thy word; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Lord’s Prayer from the Book of Cerne

Father, in your tranquil world above,
may your kingdom come,
reveal your nourishing light.
Let your clear will be done
on earth and in heaven.
What is needed for life today,
the substance of holy bread,
provide to us soon.
Forgive countless debts of our wicked errors,
no different than we pardon our debtors.
Oh, keep temptation of the devil far away,
and likewise raise us up from evil
to light at your right hand.

Source: The Book of Cerne, 9th Century, translated by Paul C. Stratman for A Collection of Prayers.

Orginal in Latin, from The prayer book of Aedeluald the bishop: commonly called the Book of Cerne, ed. Arthur Benedict Kuypers.

Pater alte tui tranquillaque mundo –
Adueniat regnumque tuum lux alma recludat –
In caelo et in terra tua fiat clara uoluntas –
Uitalisque hodie sancti substantia panis –
Proueniat nobis tua mox largit(i)o soluat –
Innumera indulgens erroris debita praui –
Et nos haut aliter concedere fenore nostris –
Tetrisae ua procul temtatio daemonis absit –
Aeque malis tua nos in lucem dextera tollat –

With You Is the Well of Life

O God,
with you is the well of life
and in your light we see light.
Impart to us the brightness of divine knowledge,
where our thirsting souls
may drink the water of life,
and our darkened minds
perpetual light from heaven;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Mozarabic, 8th century, in Daily Prayer.

Daily Prayer’s version in traditional English:

O God, with whom is the well of life and in whose light we see light: Impart to us, we beseech thee, the brightness of divine knowledge, whereby our thirsting souls may receive the draught of life, and our darkened minds perpetual light from heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You Bestow the Gift of Rest

O God,
by making the evening to succeed the day,
you bestowed the gift of rest
on human weakness.
Grant that while we enjoy
these continuing gifts of your goodness,
we may trust and thank you
from whom they come;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Mozarabic, 8th century, in Daily Prayer.

Daily Prayer’s version in traditional English:

O God, who by making the evening to succeed the day, hast bestowed the gift of repose on human weakness: Grant we beseech thee that while we enjoy these continuing gifts of thy goodness, we may trust and thank him from whom they come; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Two Celtic Communion Prayers

The Lorrha Missal (also called the Stowe Missal) was a book containing the texts of the mass, written in Ireland in the late 8th century. The first prayer below was prayed after the consecration (Words of Institution) and before the distribution. The second prayer was the post-communion prayer.

We believe, O Lord.
We believe we have been redeemed
by the breaking of Christ’s body,
and the pouring of his blood.
We rely on this sacrament for strength,
confident that what we now hold in hope,
we will enjoy in true fulfillment in heaven;
through our Lord Jesus Christ
who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
now and forever.
Amen.

We give you thanks, O Lord,
holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
for you have satisfied us
with the body and blood of Christ your Son.
In your mercy, O Lord,
let this sacrament not be for our condemnation or punishment,
but for our salvation and forgiveness,
for strengthening the weak
as a firm foundation against the dangers of the world.
With this communion forgive all our guilt,
and give us the heavenly joy of sharing in it;
through our Lord Jesus Christ
who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Lorrha-Stowe Missal, p. 6-7.

Formatted as block paragraph:

We give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, for you have satisfied us with the body and blood of Christ your Son. In your mercy, O Lord, let this sacrament not be for our condemnation or punishment, but for our salvation and forgiveness, and for strengthening the weak as a firm foundation against the dangers of the world. With this communion forgive all our guilt and give us the heavenly joy of sharing in it; through our Lord Jesus Christ who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit now and forever.

A Celtic Litany

The Lorrha Missal (also called the Stowe Missal) was a book containing the texts of the mass, written in Ireland in the late 8th century. The litany below is freely modified from the Litany of St. Martin from the Lorrha Missal. It would have been prayed between the reading of the Epistle and Gospel.

Let us all pray to the Lord.
Hear us, Lord, and have mercy.

With all our heart and mind,
to the Lord who looks over the earth and makes it tremble,
let us pray:
Lord, have mercy.

For blessed peace and most tranquil times for us,
for the holy church to extend from our borders to the ends of the earth,
let us pray:
Lord, have mercy.

For our pastors, teachers, servants,
and all leaders in our church,
let us pray:
Lord, have mercy.

For this place and those who live in it,
for faithful leaders,
and for all who serve to defend our land,
let us pray:
Lord, have mercy.

For those who dedicate themselves to the Lord’s service,
for the needy, for widows and orphans,
let us pray:
Lord, have mercy.

For those who travel by land, sea and air,
for those striving to live lives of repentance,
for those instructed in the Christian faith,
let us pray:
Lord, have mercy.

For those who bear fruits of mercy in Christ’s holy church,
let us pray:
Hear us, Lord almighty.

That we may live in the Christian faith and die in peace,
let us pray,
Lord, hear our prayer.

That God’s kingdom may remain among us,
that his will be done among us in the holy bonds of charity,
let us pray,
Lord, hear our prayer.

To preserve the Christian faith among us in all holiness and purity,
let us pray.
Lord, hear our prayer.

O Lord,
cleanse us from all our sins,
and restore us in your sight.
Graciously hear our prayers
and receive our praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Litany of Supplication of St. Martin in the Lorrha-Stowe Missal, p. 6-7. Translated and prepared for A Collection of Prayers. The closing prayer is a very free adaptation of the litany’s closing collect.

Original in Latin:

Lorrha Litany.png

A more literal translation of all the petitions may be found here: http://www.liturgies.net/Liturgies/Other/stowe.htm