Tag: 5th Century

For Right Living

Lord,
give us a spirit
to always think and do what is right.
Since we cannot do anything good without you,
empower us to live according to your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Leonine Sacramentary.

Source of this version: Freely modified from  Prayers of the Early Church,  ed.  J. Manning Potts,  The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)

Original in Latin:

Largire nobis, quaesumus, Domine, semper spiritum cogitandi quae recta sunt, propitius et agendi: ut, qui sine te esse non possumus, secundum te vivere valeamus.

This prayer also appears in  Die pommersche Kirchen-Ordnung und Agenda, p. 298.

O Herr, wir bltten, gib uns allezeit gnadiglich einen Geist zu gedenken und zu thun, was recht ist, auf daß wir, die wir ohne dich nicht sei können, nach dir auch leben mögen, durch Jesum Christum unsern Herrn, der mit dir in vereinigter Gottheit des heiligen Geistes lebet und regieret immer und ewiglich, Amen.

 

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Evening Thanksgiving

Accept our evening thanksgiving,
Fountain of every blessing,
for you have led us in safety through the length of the day.
You daily bless us with so many temporal mercies,
and have given us the hope of resurrection to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Souce: An Ancient Collect.

Source of this version: Freely modified from  Prayers of the Early Church,  ed.  J. Manning Potts,  The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)

 

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Lead Us All to True Repentance

Almighty God,
hear our prayers for all who sin against you,
or neglect to serve you,
all who forget you,
all who leave you out of their lives.
O Lord, have mercy on them.
Lead us all to true repentance
and an earnest longing for you.
Strengthen and confirm all your faithful people,
and lift up the light of your face on them,
always renewing in them heavenly desires;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Souce: An Ancient Collect.

Source of this version: Freely modified from  Prayers of the Early Church,  ed.  J. Manning Potts,  The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)

“Strengthen and confirm” may be a reference to 1 Peter 5:10

“lift up the light of your face on them” is a reference to Numbers 6:26 and Psalm 67:1

 

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Rest in You

220px-sandro_botticelli_050O Lord God,
give us peace,
for you give us all things:
the peace of rest,
the peace of the Sabbath
which has no ending:
Yes, give us rest in you,
the Sabbath of eternal life.
For you will rest in us,
as you now work in us;
and your rest shall be through us,
as your works are through us.
Amen.

Source: St. Augustine of Hippo

Source of this version: Freely modified from  Prayers of the Early Church,  ed.  J. Manning Potts,  The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)

The mentions of Sabbath rest are references to Hebrews 4:9

 

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For Perfect Love

220px-sandro_botticelli_050Look on us, O Lord,
and let all the darkness of our souls
vanish before the beams of your brightness.
Fill us with holy love,
and open to us the treasures of your wisdom.
All our desires are known to you,
therefore complete what you have begun,
and what your Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer.
We seek your face,
turn your face to us and show us your glory.
Then will our longing be satisfied,
and our peace shall be perfect.
Amen.

Source: St. Augustine of Hippo

Source of this version: Freely modified from  Prayers of the Early Church,  ed.  J. Manning Potts,  The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)

 

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For Complete Love

220px-sandro_botticelli_050

Lord, my God,
Light of the blind and Strength of the weak;
indeed, also, Light of those that see,
and Strength of the strong;
listen to my soul,
and hear it crying out of the depths.

O Lord,
help us to turn and seek you;
for you have not forsaken your creatures
the way we have forsaken you, our Creator.
Let us turn and seek you,
for we know you are here in our hearts,
when we confess to you,
when we cast ourselves on you,
and weep at your feet,
after all our rugged ways;
and you gently wipe away our tears,
and we weep the more for joy;
because you, Lord, who made us,
remake and comfort us.

Hear, Lord, my prayer,
and grant that I may most entirely love you,
and rescue me, O Lord, from every temptation,
even to the end.
Amen.

Source: St. Augustine of Hippo

Source of this version: Freely modified from  Prayers of the Early Church,  ed.  J. Manning Potts,  The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)

“Light of the blind…” may be a reference to Luke 4:18 and similar passages.

“…out of the depths” is a reference to Psalm 130:1

“Let us turn and seek you” may be a reference to Daniel 9:3 and 1 Peter 3:11

“gently wipe away our tears” may be a reference to Revelation 7:17 and Revelation 21:4

 

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Blessing from St. Patrick’s Breastplate

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May the strength of God pilot us.
May the power of God preserve us.
May the wisdom of God instruct us.
May the hand of God protect us.
May the way of God direct us.
May the shield of God defend us.
May the host of God guard us
against the snares of evil
and the temptations of the world.

May Christ be with us.
Christ before us.
Christ in us.
Christ over us.
May your salvation, O Lord,
be always ours
this day and forever more.

Source: St. Patrick, from “St. Patrick’s Breastplate”

Source of this version: http://www.oursanctuary.net/breastplate.html

Graphic: Saint Patrick stained glass window from Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, CA, from Wikimedia Commons

 

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Serve You with Willing Spirits

O God,
deliver us from earthly desires,
that no sin may reign in us,
but that with willing spirits we may serve you,
our only Lord;
through Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers Ancient and Modern
by Mary Wilder Tileston, Boston, Little Brown, 1914, p. 86 #2

“with willing spirits we may serve you” is possibly a reference to Psalm 51:12

Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com

 

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Wisdom, Strength, Light, Mercy

Give me, O Lord,
purity of lips,
a clean and innocent heart,
humility, fortitude, patience.
Give me the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and godliness,
and of fear of the Lord.
Make me always seek your face with all my heart,
all my soul, all my mind.
Give me a contrite and humble heart in your presence.
Most high, eternal and holy Wisdom,
drive away from me the darkness
of blindness and ignorance.
Most high and eternal Strength, deliver me.
Most high and eternal Light, illuminate me.
Most high and infinite Mercy, have mercy on me.
Amen.

Source: Gallican Sacramentary

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers Ancient and Modern
by Mary Wilder Tileston, Boston, Little Brown, 1914, p. 60 #1

“purity of lips” is a reference to Psalm 24:4  and possibly Psalm 17:1

“clean and innocent heart” is a reference to Psalm 51:10

“Give me the Spirit of wisdom…” is a reference to Isaiah 11:2

“Make me always seek your face with all my heart…” is a reference to Matthew 22:37

“Give me a contrite and humble heart…” is  a reference to Psalm 51:17

 

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With You Is Refreshment and Strength

220px-sandro_botticelli_050O Lord our God,
let us find hope under the shadow of your wings.
You will support us,
both when little,
and even to gray hairs.
When our strength is from you, it is strength.
When our own, it is weakness.
We return to you, O Lord,
that our weary souls may rise towards you,
leaning on the things which you have created,
and passing on to yourself,
since you have wonderfully made them;
for with you is refreshment and true strength. Amen.

Source: Augustine

Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers Ancient and Modern
by Mary Wilder Tileston, Boston, Little Brown, 1914, p. 2 #1

Graphic by Sandro Botticeli from Wikipedia.com.

 

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