Tag: 19th Century

After One Has Departed in the Lord

Thanks and praise be rendered now and forevermore
to Christ Jesus, Lord of glory and Prince of life,
for having so graciously delivered this sainted brother,
and received his soul into his holy hands.
We pray him to reunite the soul with the body
in heavenly brightness on the last day,
and to grant to us a godly walk
and an equally happy departure
at the time appointed of God.
Restore, O Lord, all distressed hearts with sweet comfort
and keep all of us always in your grace
for the sake of your eternal mercy and goodness.
Amen, O most holy and exalted Trinity. Amen! Amen!

Source: Modified from The Abridged Treasury of Prayers: An Epitome from the Larger Gebets-Schatz, 1906,  #64

Two Prayers for the Dying

Almighty, eternal God, heavenly Father,
comfort and strengthen this your servant
and save him through your goodness.
Deliver him from all anguish and distress,
release him in your grace,
and take him to yourself in your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ your dear Son,
our only Lord Savior and Redeemer.
Amen.

Almighty, eternal God,
have compassion on the anxious sighs
and groanings of this dying person.
Receive him into your kingdom
that you have mercifully prepared for him
and all believers from the beginning of the world.
Graciously release him, O Lord,
and comfort him eternally with the elect;
through your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Source: Modified from The Abridged Treasury of Prayers: An Epitome from the Larger Gebets-Schatz, 1906,  #63

prayer for the dead in middle ages

prayers for the dead

A Prayer for a Dying Person

O almighty and merciful God,
you are our rod and staff in the shadow of death.
We pray, visit this sick person,
his body and soul,
with your mercy,
and graciously to forgive all his sins.
Take the sacrifice of the innocent death
of Jesus Christ your dear Son
as payment for his transgressions
since he was baptized in Christ’s name
and cleansed by Christ’s blood.
Deliver him from bodily pains or shorten them.
Sustain him against the accusations of conscience
and all attacks of the wicked one
that he may fight a good fight and overcome.
Grant him a blessed departure for the life everlasting.
Send your holy angels
that they escort him to the gathering
of the elect in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.

Source: The Abridged Treasury of Prayers: An Epitome from the Larger Gebets-Schatz, 1906,  #61

“you are our rod and staff in the shadow of death” is a reference to Psalm 23:4

“Take the sacrifice of the innocent death of Jesus Christ your dear Son as payment for his transgressions” is a reference to Isaiah 53:5

“Sustain him against the accusations of conscience and all attacks of the wicked one” may be a reference to Ephesians 6:16

“that he may fight a good fight and overcome” is a reference to 1 Timothy 6:12

“Send your holy angels” is a reference to Luke 16:22

prayer for the dead in middle ages

prayers for the dead

Shelter Us in Your Mercy

Almighty God,
the refuge of all who are distressed,
in all troubles of this mortal life
draw us to you to find comfort
in knowing your loving-kindness
and tender mercy.
Shelter us in your mercy
that the storms of life may pass over us
and not shake the peace of God within us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Source: George Dawson, d. 1876

Source of this version: Freely modified from Collects and Prayers for use in Church,  United Lutheran Church in America, 1935, #247

Bless, Preserve, and Keep Us

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
bless, preserve, and keep us.
The Lord mercifully with look on us with his favor,
and fill us with all spiritual benediction and grace,
that we may live godly, righteously, and soberly in this life,
and in the world to come we may have life everlasting.
Amen.

Source: The gospel of the kingdom, a vade-mecum of texts and prayers of intercession, ed. Hugh Croskery, 1877 and Short services for family worship: arranged chiefly from the Book of common prayer by John Gibson, 1844

This blessing is based in part on Numbers 6:24ff.

You Will Wipe away Every Tear from our Eyes

O God,
you are as rich in pity as you are in power,
merciful and mighty.
See your whole creation,
as it has been groaning
in the pains of childbirth until now.
As you have broken the power of evil
by the cross of Christ
and by his endless sacrifice
you take away the sin of the world,
hasten the time
when the last enemy of humanity
shall be completely defeated
and death shall be no more,
neither shall there be mourning,
nor crying, nor pain anymore,
and you will wipe away every tear from our eyes;
through your redeeming love
in Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.

Source: The Order of Divine Service for Public Worship … Compiled by W.E. Orchard, Etc. London, 1921, p. 115 (Litany of the Sick)

Also found here: Collects and Prayers for use in Church,  United Lutheran Church in America, 1935, #244

“hasten the time” may be a reference to Matthew 24:22

“See your whole creation, as it has been groaning in the pains of childbirth until now” is a reference to Romans 8:22

“by his endless sacrifice, you take away the sin of the world” is a reference to John 1:29

“the last enemy of humanity shall be completely destroyed” is a reference to 1 Corinthians 15:26

“death shall be no more, … and you will wipe away every tear from our eyes” is a reference to Revelation 21:4

For Those Who Suffer

Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior,
for us you bore the agony of the cross.
Draw near to your servant _____,
who suffers pain,*
and make all things serve your good purpose,
that by your grace he may know
that the sufferings of this present time
are not worth comparing
with the glory that is to be revealed to us;
with the Father and the Holy Spirit
you live and reign,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from William Bright, Bright’s Ancient Collects, p. 237 #3

Also found here: Collects and Prayers for use in Church,  United Lutheran Church in America, 1935, #243

*the word pain can be substituted with something more specific: illness, weakness, depression, setbacks in treatment, slow recovery, trouble of mind, etc.

“make all things serve your good purpose” is a reference to Romans 8:28

“the sufferings of this present time…” is a reference to Romans 8:18

“who suffers pain” in the original prayer was “who suffers pain or trouble of mind, (especially N.), hallow all their crosses in this life, and crown them hereafter, where all tears are wiped away where with the Father &c ”

 

AncientCollectsAd

Three Swedish Communion Prayers

When the administration of the holy meal is finished, the pastor turns to the congregation and says:

Let us pray.

Turning to the altar, the pastor offers one of the following thanksgiving collects:

We thank you, almighty Father, through your Son, Jesus Christ you have instituted this holy supper for our comfort and salvation. Grant us grace to celebrate the remembrance of Jesus on earth, that we may also be partakers of the great communion in heaven.
Amen.

or:

We thank you, almighty God, that through this precious meal of grace you have refreshed and satisfied us. Use it to increase our faith and advance us in godliness and all Christlike virtues; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

or:

O Lord Jesus Christ, you have called us to this communion. We humbly thank you for your mercy, that you have fed us here with your body and blood and filled and embraced us with your goodness. O Lord, be near us! We commit ourselves into your hands and put our trust in you. Let us abide with you forever.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Swedish Rite: a translation of “Handbok för svenska kyrkan” by Eric Esskildsen Yelverton, 1921, The Service of High Mass, p. 32

 

EvLuthHeritageAd

Creation Prayers

sun_and_moon_creationO Almighty Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
on the first day you created the light,
and you have raised us up to praise and adore you.
Lead us as children of light,
that we may have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

O Almighty God,
on the second day you divided
the waters under the firmament
from the waters above it.
Grant us, as we have been born again
of water and the Holy Spirit,
and refreshed with showers of your blessing,
we may finally drink of the pure river
that flows from your throne;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

O God,
on the third day you made the earth bring forth
every herb and fruit tree for our use.
Grant to us and to your whole Church
that we may remember these and all your mercies
by bringing forth fruits of righteousness
to the honor and praise of your holy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Amen.

O God,
on the fourth day you created great lights
to give light upon the earth.
Raise up for your Church faithful and wise rulers
who may enlighten it both by their life and doctrine,
and having turned many to righteousness,
they may shine in glory as the stars,
for ever and ever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Glory to you,O Lord,
on the fifth day you brought forth out of the waters
the moving creature which has life,
the birds of the air and the fish of the sea,
and whatever moves through the paths of the seas.
We praise you for our creation, preservation,
and for all the comforts and blessings of this present life,
but more especially for the grace
of our Christian calling in Christ Jesus,
for your long-suffering mercy and forgiveness,
for the knowledge of your truth and will,
and for the blessed hope of everlasting life
given us through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord.
Amen.

O God,
by your almighty power
all things living were created,
and on the sixth day you made the first man in your own image.
Mercifully grant that in following your Son,
the Son of Man who came down from heaven,
we may recover that which was lost through sin
and may put on the new man
who is created to be like you in righteousness and true holiness;
through  Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God.
On the seventh day you rested from all your work.
Blessed are you, O Jesus,
Having finished your work you entered into your rest.
Grant us, that having diligently done your works
all the days of our appointed time on earth,
we may at last enter into your everlasting rest;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Daily Services for Christian Households, compiled and arranged by H. Stobart, 1867. The prayers for the fifth and seventh days were compiled from more than one prayer in Daily Services.