11th Century – Page 5 – A Collection of Prayers

Dunkeld Litany

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The litany below is a shortened version of a litany which was sung at public processions of a group of ascetic monks called Culdees. It was used at the ancient Scottish monastery of Dunkeld.

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

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

You are three, and yet one God, have mercy on us.

Be gracious, free us, Lord.
Be gracious, hear us, Lord.
Be gracious, spare us, Lord.

From every evil,
from every evil inclination,
from every impurity of heart and body,
from a haughty spirit,
from the evil of sickness,
from the snares of the devil,
from enemies to the Christian name,
from destructive storms,
from famine and nakedness,
from thieves and robbers,
from wolves and all dangerous animals,
from floods of water,
from trials of death,
in the day of judgment, free us, Lord.

By your advent,
by your birth,
by your circumcision,
by your baptism,
by your passion,
by sending the counseling Spirit, free us, Lord.

We sinners pray, free us, Lord.

Holy Father, we pray, hear us.

To give us peace and concord,
to give us life and health,
to give us the fruits of the earth,
to protect our livestock from all pestilence,
to give us favorable weather,
to give us rain at the proper time,
to give us perseverance in good works,
to work true repentance in us,
to move us in charity for those in need,
to give us fervor in your service,
to give all Christian people peace and unity,
to keep us in the true faith and religion,
to preserve and spread your holy church,
to give long life and health to pastors, teachers and all leaders in the church,
to protect the leaders of our land from all enemies and snares.
to give them victory and long life,
to drive out the enemies of Christians from the earth,
to bring them to holy baptism,
to give all Christians your mercy,
to spare us,
to grant us mercy,
to look upon us, we pray, hear us.

Son of God, hear us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us, Lord.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
grant us peace.

Christ conquers,
Christ rules,
Christ commands.

O Christ, hear us.

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

O Christ, give us your grace,
O Christ, give us joy and peace.
O Christ, give us life and salvation.
Amen.

Let us pray.

Our Father…

Let us pray.
Almighty and gracious God, in your majesty remember us. Grant us forgiveness of all sins, increase your heavenly grace to us, and give us your help against all the snares of our enemies, seen and unseen. In the same way, protect our hearts by your command, so that after this mortal life, we may rejoice together with all your saints in the glory of the kingdom of God, serving our Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer, who has all power and rule, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Source: Kalendars of Scottish Saints by Alexander Penrose Forbes, Bishop of Brechin, Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh, 1872, p. lvi-lxv.

Note: This litany is very similar to the Litany of All Saints, which was adapted by Martin Luther for his Latin Litany Corrected and his German Litany.

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.

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.

Fulfill Us with Your Mercy

Fulfill us, O Lord,
in this hour of the day,
with the abundance of your mercy
that we may go on our way rejoicing,
and may delight in your praises all the day long;
through Jesus Christ
your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Slightly modified from Sarum Psalter, Prime

Variant:

O Lord,
in this hour of this day
fill us with your mercy,
that we may rejoice throughout the whole day
and delight in your praise;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954. Also in Bright’s Ancient Collects. (New Ancient Collects, #36)

Scatter Our Darkness

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Almighty God,
you have put the sun in the heavens
to scatter the night
and restore morning to the world.
Fill us with your mercy,
enlighten us,
and scatter all the darkness of our sins;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: Sarum Breviary, from https://www.oursanctuary.net/sarum.html, slightly modified.

In traditional English:

Almighty God,
who has planted the Day-star in the heavens,
and, scattering the night,
dost restore morning to the world,
fill us, we beseech Thee, with Thy mercy,
so that, Thou being our Enlightener,
all the darkness of our sins may be dispersed,
through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pardon and Peace

O God the Father,
fountain and source of all goodness,
in your loving-kindness you sent
your only Son into the flesh.
We thank you that for his sake
you have given us pardon and peace in this Sacrament.
We pray that you will not forsake your children,
but always rule our hearts and minds
by your Holy Spirit,
that we may constantly serve you;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Modified from Sarum Missal by The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, freely modified into contemporary English

Original in Latin:

DEUS Pater, fons et origo totius bonitatis, qui ductus misericordia Unigenitum tuum pro nobis ad infima mundi descendere et carnem sumere voluisti, quam ego indignus hic in manibus meis teneo:

Hic inclinet se sacerdos ad hostiam, dicens:

Te adoro, te glorifico, te tota mentis ac cordis intentione laudo: Et precor ut nos famulos tuos non deseras, sed peccata nostra dimittas, quatenus tibi soli vivo ac vero Deo, puro corde et casto corpore servire valeamus; Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Translation of the unmodified Latin prayer in traditional English:

O God the Father, Fountain and Source of all goodness, Whose mercy willed that Thy only begotten Son should descend to this lower world for us, and should take upon Him flesh, which I unworthy hold here in my hands, saying, I adore Thee, I glorify Thee with every power of my heart, I praise Thee, and I pray that Thou wilt not leave us, Thy servants, but forgive us our sins, so far as we deserve to serve Thee, the only living and true God, with pure heart and chaste body, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Inward Peace and Goodwill

O Lord Jesus Christ,
by your incarnation you united
things earthly and heavenly.
Fill us with the sweetness
of inward peace and goodwill,
that we may join the heavenly host
in singing praises to your glory;
for you live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gregorian Rite, 6th Century

Source of this version: Freely modified from Collects and Prayers for Use in Church, United Lutheran Church in America, 1935

Variant, as a blessing:

And may He, Who through His Incarnation united earthly things with Heavenly, fill us with the sweetness of inward peace and good will, and make us partakers with the Heavenly Host. Amen.

Source of this version: The Priest to the Altar: Or Aids to the Devout Celebration of Holy Communion Chiefly After the Ancient English Use of Sarum, Peter Goldsmith Medd,
Rivingtons, 1879, 11th Century

A Sarum Blessing (7)

May the Lord direct our hearts,
this day and for ever,
in the love of God
and in the patient waiting for Christ.
The Lord bless us and preserve us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life;
through Jesus + Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Parts are from Sarum Rite (“The Lord bless us…”).

Source of this version: The gospel of the kingdom, a vade-mecum of texts and prayers of intercession, ed. Hugh Croskery, 1877

Praise to the Trinity

Blessed and glorious Trinity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thanks to you,
true and one Trinity,
one and perfect Godhead.
You, God the Father unbegotten,
you, the only Son,
you, the Holy Spirit the Counselor,
holy and undivided Trinity,
we confess and praise with heart and mouth.
To you be glory forever.
Alleluia.

Source: Sarum Rite

Source of this version: Modified from A Book of Prayers: Together with Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Ancient and Modern, Ed. Charles Leffingwell, Morehouse Publishing Company, 1921, p. 95 #1

“Counselor” in Leffingwell is “Paraclete.” It may be rendered as “Comforter,” “Helper,” “Advocate,” or whatever the translation of your choice uses for the Greek word parakletos. (See John 14:16.)

A Sarum Christmas Prayer

old_sarum_cathedral_reconstruction O Dayspring,
Splendor of the eternal Light
and Sun of Righteousness!
Come and enlighten
those who sit in darkness
and the shadow of death.
O King of Gentiles,
you whom they long for,
and Cornerstone that makes all one,
Come and save humanity
which you have formed
out of the clay.

Source: Sarum Rite