A Collection of Prayers

For Divine Strength

O mightiest King,
co-eternal with the Father,
by your might you vanquished hell and trodden death under foot,
you have bound the strong man,
by your miraculous power
and the radiance of your unspeakable Godhead
you arose as the second Adam from the tomb.
Send forth your invisible right hand,
which is full of blessing,
and bless us all.

Pity us, O Lord,
and strengthen us with your divine power.
Take away the sinful and wicked influence of carnal desire.
Let the light shine into our souls
and dispel the surrounding darkness of sin.
Unite us to the all-blessed assembly that is pleasing to you;
for through you and with you,
all praise, honor, power, adoration, and thanksgiving are due
to the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Liturgy of St. Mark, third century.

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953

“by your miraculous power and the radiance of your unspeakable Godhead you arose as the second Adam from the tomb.” …in Potts’ edition was, “…by Thy miraculous power and the enlightening radiance of Thy unspeakable Godhead hast raised Adam from the tomb.”

A Canticle of Christ (1)

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Christ Jesus,
the true Word,
eternal God,
born of a virgin,
tender shoot from the stump of Jesse,
blessed Lamb,
by him souls were set free,
through his blood all were redeemed,
the earth rejoiced because the enemy departed,
death of death,
hell’s destruction,
you gave freedom to your new creation
that rejoices to call you Master.
Jesus, Lamb of God,
you forgive the sins of the world.
We call on your holy name.

Source: Greek Papyrus Fragment, Cairo Museum, 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. 292

Text gaps freely reconstructed by Paul C. Stratman.

“Christ Jesus, the true Word, the God of eternity” is a reference to John 1:1

“born of a virgin” is a reference to Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:34

“a tender shoot” is a reference to Isaiah 53:2

“Stump of Jesse” is a reference to Isaiah 11:1

“through his blood” is a reference to 1 Peter 1:19

“death of death, hell’s destruction” on p. 293 of The New Archaeological Discoveries… a similar prayer has the phrase, “the one that has abolished death and the grave (Hades).” The phrase “death of death…” is from the hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” by William Williams.

“new creation” is a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Lamb of God” is a reference to John 1:29

Text as it reads in The New Archaeological Discoveries and their Bearing upon the New Testament without gaps reconstructed:

Christ…
the true Word,
the God of eternity
…
the blessed Lamb,
by him souls were set free
through his blood …
the earth rejoiced because the enemy departed
…
You gave freedom to the creation
that asked for a Master.
Jesus, you …
forgive sins …
we call on your holy name.

“A Canticle of Christ” from a Greek Papyrus Fragment as reconstructed by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

All Things Are Being Restored by Christ

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light,
look favorably on your whole Church,
which is a wonderful and sacred mystery.
In your eternal foreknowledge,
you peacefully do your saving work for humanity.
Let the whole world know
that things that were cast down are being raised up,
and things that had grown old are being made new,
and all things are being restored by him
in whom they have their beginning;
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Gelasian, Holy Saturday, freely modified from Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 98#2

“This Is the Night!” Easter Eve Eucharistic Prayer

God has unlocked for us the path to eternity - Today's ...

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly good and right,
with all powers of heart and mind,
and with the service of our lips,
to praise the invisible God,
the Father almighty, and his only Son
our Lord Jesus Christ,
who paid the debt of Adam for us to the eternal Father,
and erased the stain of ancient guilt
by his blood poured out in love.
For this is the Paschal festival
in which Christ, the true Lamb was slain,
and the door-posts hallowed by his blood,
by which you first brought our ancestors,
the children of Israel, out of Egypt,
and led them through the Red Sea with dry feet.
This is the night
which cleared away the darkness of sin with a pillar of light.
This is the night
which restores grace and unites believers in Christ
in holiness throughout the world,
separated from worldly vices and from the gloom of sin.
This the night
in which Christ broke the bonds of death
and ascended from the grave as a Conqueror.
Life itself would be no blessing to us
without his redemption.
O wondrous love!
To redeem your servants you gave up your Son.
This holy night,
drives off offences, washes away sins,
restores innocence to the fallen and joy to the sad.
O truly blessed night,
which spoiled the Egyptians and enriched the Hebrews —
the night in which heaven and earth are reconciled!
We pray therefore, O Lord,
that you would preserve your servants
in the peace and joy of this Easter happiness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Gregorian, freely modified from Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 52.2. The New Ancient Collects, #159.

Litany of the Resurrection (1)

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

O Christ, hear us.

God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Redeemer of mankind,
Jesus, Conqueror of sin and Satan,
Jesus, triumphant over Death,
Jesus, the Holy and the Just,
Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life,
Jesus, the Giver of grace,
Jesus, the Judge of the world,
who laid down your life for your sheep,
who rose again the third day,
who showed yourself to your chosen,
appearing to Mary Magdalene while she wept,
sending your angels to the holy women,
comforting the Eleven,
saying to them, “Peace,”
breathing on them the Holy Spirit,
confirming the faith of Thomas,
commanding Peter to feed your lambs and sheep,
speaking of the Kingdom of God, have mercy on us.

We poor sinners pray, hear us, Lord God.

That we may walk in newness of life,
that we may advance in the knowledge of you,
that we may grow in grace,
that we may always have the bread of life,
that we may persevere to the end,
that we may have confidence before you at your coming,
that we may behold your face with joy,
that we may be placed at your right hand in the judgment,
that we may have our place with the saints, hear us, good Lord.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace.

O Christ, hear us.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Amen.

Christ is risen, Alleluia.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Let us pray

O God, by your only Son you overcame death and opened the way to eternal life for us. Confirm us by your grace, that we may always walk as your people who who have been redeemed from their sins; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Based on ‘Litany of the Resurrection’ by John Henry Newman.

Not with Gold, Not with Silver, but with Blood from the Side of the Savior

800px-mathis_gothart_grc3bcnewald_007 By the shedding of the Blood of Christ our Lord,
peace has been established in heaven and earth.
Truly precious is the Covenant of peace,
which was made by the offering of that holy Blood!
Not with gold,
not with silver,
not with gems or pearls,
but with the blood that poured
from the side of the Savior,
which gladdened heaven,
purified earth,
and terrified hell.

Source: Gallican Sacramentary, freely modified from Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 48#2.

You Shed Your Precious Blood

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Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of the living God,
you came down from heaven to earth
from your Father’s side,
suffered five wounds on the wood of the cross,
and shed your precious blood
for the forgiveness of our sins.
At the day of judgment
set us at your right hand,
speak to us those sweet words,
“Come, you who are blessed,
into my Father’s kingdom;”
with the Father and the Holy Spirit
you live and reign,
one God,
now and forever.

Source: Sarum Missal, freely modified from Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 47#3.

So Loving, Yet Hated

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O God,
Son of God,
so loving, yet hated,
so patient, yet assaulted to death,
you showed yourself gentle and merciful
even to your persecutors.
You have atoned for our sins
through the wounds of your Passion.
As you humbled yourself and suffered death for us,
now, in your glory,
bestow on us eternal brightness.

Source: Mozarabic, freely modified from Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 46#1.

For Our Redemption

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Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
for our redemption
you were born and circumcised,
and rejected by the Jews,
betrayed with kiss by Judas,
seized, bound, and led in bonds
to Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilate,
and you stood before them to be mocked,
smitten with palm and fist,
with the scourge and the reed.

Your face was covered and defiled with spitting,
crowned with thorns,
accused by false witnesses.

You were condemned,
and as an innocent Lamb led to slaughter,
bearing your own cross,
pierced through with nails,
gall and vinegar were given you to drink,
and you were left on the cross
to die the most shameful of deaths,
wounded with a spear.

By these your most sacred pains
you deliver us from all sins and penalties.

By your holy Cross
bring us, miserable sinners,
to that place you brought the repentant thief to yourself;
for you live and with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.

Source: Sarum Missal, Innocent III, freely modified from Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 45#3.

You Stretched Out Your Hands on the Cross

800px-mathis_gothart_grc3bcnewald_007 Lord Jesus Christ,
you stretched out your hands on the cross
and you redeemed us by your blood.
Forgive me, a sinner,
for none of my thoughts are hidden from you.
Pardon I ask,
pardon I hope for,
pardon I trust to have.
Your heart is full of pity and mercy.
Spare and forgive me.

Source: Ambrosian, freely modified from Ancient Collects, ed. William Bright, p. 44#2

Original in traditional English:

Lord Jesus Christ, Who didst stretch out Thine hands on the Cross, and redeem us by Thy blood, forgive me, a sinner, for none of my thoughts are hid from Thee. Pardon I ask, pardon I hope for, pardon I trust to have. Thou Who art pitiful and merciful, spare and forgive me.