celtic – Page 4 – A Collection of Prayers

The Lorrha-Stowe Preface and Sanctus

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. It begins in the same way as the Roman rite, but becomes a beautiful poem on the attributes of God.

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 good and right.

It is truly good, right and salutary
for us to give thanks to you always and everywhere,
holy Lord, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord;
with your only Son and the Holy Spirit you are
one immortal God,
incorruptible and unchangeable God,
invisible and faithful God,
wonderful and praiseworthy God,
honorable and mighty God,
most high and magnificent God,
living and true God,
wise and powerful God,
holy and glorious God,
great and good God,
awesome and peaceful God,
beautiful and righteous God,
pure and benevolent God,
blessed and just God,
pious and holy God,
not one singular person,
but one Trinity of substance.

We believe you.
We bless you.
We adore you.
We praise your name forever and ever
through him who is the salvation of the world,
through him who is the life of humanity,
through him who is the resurrection of the dead.

Through him the angels praise your majesty,
the dominions adore,
the powers of the highest heaven tremble,
the virtues of the blessed seraphim rejoice together.
We pray, grant that we may join our voices with theirs, confessing you and saying:

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of Sabaoth.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who came down from heaven that he might live on the earth, be made fully human, and gave his flesh as a sacrificial victim, and by his passion gave eternal life to those who believe.

Source: Lorrha-Stowe Missal, eighth century. Translated by Paul C. Stratman for A Collection of Prayers.

Original in Latin:

Stowe Preface.png

A facsimile of the book can be seen here: https://archive.org/details/stowemissalmsdii01cath

To You, Trinity We Give Praise and Thanks

We worship you, eternal Father.
We call on you, eternal Son.
We confess you, Holy Spirit, dwelling in one divine unity.

To you, Trinity we give praise and thanks.
To you, one God, we sing in endless praise.

To you, Father unbegotten,
to you, the only-begotten Son,
to you, Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, we confess with our hearts,
to you beyond all thought, surpassing all understanding, to the all-powerful God we give thanks; who reigns, now and forever. Amen.

Source: The Antiphony of Bangor, #125; translated by Paul C. Stratman for A Collection of Prayers.

Original in Latin:

Te Patrem adoramus seternum.
Te sempiternum Filium invocamus.
Teque Spiritum Sanctum in una divinitatis substantia manentem confitemur.
Tibi Trinitati laudes et gratias referimus.
Tibi uni Deo incessabilem dicimus laudem.
Te Patrem ingenitum,
Te Filium unigenitum.
Te Spiritum Sanctum a Patre et Filio procedentem corde credimus.
Tibi inaestimabili, incomprehensibili, omni potens Deus, gratias agimus. Qui regnas in saecula, &c.

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. This is a new translation of the entire Antiphonary into comtemporary liturgical English.

I Arise Today (St. Bridget)

I arise today
through a mighty strength:
God’s power to guide me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s eyes to watch over me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to give me speech,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to shelter me,
God’s host to secure me.

Source: St. Bridget of Kildare (Bridget of Gael)

Source of this version: http://www.faithandworship.com/Celtic_Blessings_and_Prayers.htm

Also found here: http://www.worldprayers.org/archive/prayers/adorations/i_arise_today.html

Similar to St. Patrick’s Breastplate

A Benediction

Rosette_06

May our Lord + Jesus Christ
be near you to defend you,
within you to refresh you,
around you to preserve you,
before you to guide you,
behind you to justify you,
above you to bless you;
and the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, the + Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always.
Amen.

Source: 10^th Century manuscript, from The New Ancient Collects, #575, (Bright’s Ancient Collects, p. 193.3)

In Bright’s Ancient Collects, this was printed as a prayer with this ending:

…above you to bless you;
who lives and reigns
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

A Blessing Based on Isaiah 9

May the wisdom of the Wonderful Counselor direct you,
the strength of the Mighty God protect you,
the love of the Everlasting Father embrace you,
the peace of the Prince of Peace surround you.

Source: Unknown, possibly Celtic.

This blessing is drawn from Isaiah 9:6

I Arise Today (Celtic Prayer)

I arise today
embraced in the arms
of God the Father,
empowered by the strength
of God the Spirit,
immersed in the love
of God the Son.
I arise today
in the company
of the Trinity,
Father, Spirit and Son.
I arise today.

Source: Unknown, attributed as “A Celtic Prayer”

Source of this version: http://stoswaldsoswestry.org.uk/prayer-room/morning-and-evening-prayers/

See: St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

Come I This Day

Come I this day to the Father, CelticCapital13
Come I this day to the Son,
Come I to the Holy Spirit powerful;
Come I this day with God,
Come I this day with Christ,
Come I with the Spirit of kindly balm.

Father, and Spirit, and Jesus,
From the crown of my head
To the soles of my feet;
Come I with my reputation,
Come I with my testimony,
Come I to you, Jesu–
Jesu, shelter me.

Source: Unknown, Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p. 69. English translation modified.

Graphic is from Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p.68

Morning Prayer

CelticCapital15 Thanks to you, Jesus Christ,
who brought me up from last night
to the gladsome light of this day,
to win everlasting life for my soul,
through the atoning blood you shed for me.

Praise to you, O God forever,
for the blessings you bestowed on me,
my food, my speech, my deeds, my health.

And I ask,
to shield me from sin,
to shield me from ill,
to bless me this night,
and I low and poor,
O God of the poor!
O Christ of the wounds!
Give me wisdom along with your grace.

May the Holy One claim me,
and protect me on sea and on land,
and lead me on from step to step,
to the peace of the Everlasting City,
the peace of the Everlasting City!

Source: Unknown, Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p. 97. English translation modified.

Graphic is from Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations…, Vol. I, p.96

In Carmida Gadelica… on the following pages, a similar prayer in a slightly different format appears:

The Dedication

Thanks to you, God,
who brought me from yesterday
to the beginning of today,
everlasting joy
to earn for my soul
with good intent
and for every gift of peace
you bestow on me,
my thoughts, my words,
my deeds, my desires
I dedicate to you,
I supplicate you,
I beseech you,
to keep me from offence
and to shield me tonight
for the sake of your wounds
with your offering of grace.

A Doxology

A Doxology from the Antiphonary of Bangor

Bangor Doxology

We worship you, eternal Father.
We call on you, eternal Son.
And we confess you, Holy Spirit,
dwelling in one divine unity.

One God in three persons,
we give you praise and thanks,
and ask that we may join our voices
to sing in your unending praise,
now and forever.

Source: Antiphonary of Bangor, ninth century

Source of this version: Translated and reworked from the Latin text for A Collection of Prayers.

Translation of Doxology “Te Patrem adoremus aeternum” by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Original in Latin:

123. Post laudate pueri dominum in dominico die.

Te Patrem adoramus aeternum.
Te sempiternum Filium invocamus.
Teque Spiritum Sanctum
in una divinitatis substantia manentem confitemur.

Tibi uni Deo in Trinitate
debitas laudes et gratias referimus,
ut te incessabili voce laudare mereamur,
per aeterna saecula saeculorum.

Evening Prayers

Two Evening Prayers from the Antiphonary of Bangor

FOR PEACE

Antiphon:

We have sinned,
and have acted wickedly. (2 Chronicles 6:37 ESV)

Collect:

You have redeemed us, O Lord, God of truth, by your holy blood. Now help us in all things, Jesus Christ, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Antiphon

Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble. (Psalm 119:165 ESV)

Collect

Let your peace, O Lord, heavenly King, always remain in our hearts, that we need not fear the terror of the night, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Antiphonary of Bangor, ninth century

Source of this version: Translated and reworked from the Latin text for A Collection of Prayers.

Translation of Prayers “Redemisti nos, Domine Deus / You have redeemed us, O Lord,” and “Pax tua, Domine, rex caelestis / Let your peace, O Lord, heavenly King” by Paul C. Stratman are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

“You have redeemed us…” is a reference to Psalm 31:5

“Now help us…” may be a reference to Psalm 70:1

“that we need not fear the terror of the night” is a reference to Psalm 91:5

Originals in Latin:

34. Ad pacem Celebrandam

Ant. Injuste egimus, iniquitatem fecimus.

Collectio. Redemisti nos, Domine Deus veritatis, in tuo sancto sanguine, nunc adjuva nos in omnibus, Jesu Christe, Qui regnas, &c

Ant. Pax multa diligentibus legem tuam; et non est illis scandalum.

Collectio. Pax tua, Domine, rex caelestis, permaneat semper in visceribus nostris, ut non timeamus a timore nocturne, Qui regnas &c