collect – Page 17 – A Collection of Prayers

Our Souls Long for You

antifonariodelec3b3n1 As watchmen wait for the morning,
so do our souls long for you, O Christ.
Come with the dawning of the day,
and make yourself known to us in the breaking of bread;
for you are our God for ever and ever.
Amen.

Source: Mozarabic Rite

Source of this version: http://1stholistic.com/Spl_prayers/prayer_mozarabic-morning-prayer.htm

Also found here: https://attentiontothemoment.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/the-mozarabic-sacramentary/

“As watchmen wait for the morning” is a reference to Psalm 130:6

“known in the breaking of bread” is a reference to Luke 24:35

Graphic: Mozarabic manuscript from the Cathedral of Leon, from Wikimedia Commons.

The Collects of Veit Dietrich

veit-dietrich Veit Dietrich was a younger associate of Martin Luther, sometimes serving as Luther’s secretary in the Table Talk and in some of the notes connected with Luther’s translation of the Bible. Dietrich was one of many theologians in the early Reformation who wrote volumes to educate both laity and clergy. He wrote a book Summaria Christlicher Lehr (1548) which was a devotional commentary on the Sunday lessons in the Historic Lectionary. After the summaries of the lessons for a certain day, he had a prayer based on the Gospel for the day. These prayers or collects were similar to the classic collects (now often called the ‘prayer of the day’ which is read before the lessons) only they were longer, more meditative, somewhat didactic (‘teachy’), and more closely connected to the thematic content of the Gospel.

Veit Dietrich’s collects appeared in English translation in The Lutheran Hymnary (1913) and in slightly updated English in Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (1996). There were a few prayers in Summaria… that did not appear in either book. They have been newly translated for this work.

The Collects of Veit Dietrich in Contemporary English, prepared for A Collection of Prayers is available here: Veit Dietrich Collects CE. The pdf now has a cross-reference thematic use with the Christian Worship Lectionary (1993).

And also at Academia.edu here: https://www.academia.edu/27888007/The_Collects_of_Veit_Dietrich

A Prayer for Peace

antifonariodelec3b3n1 O God, you are the author of peace.
Spread abroad your peace in our hearts and minds,
guard and protect us in all danger,
and lead us to always trust in your defense,
that we may serve you without fear
all the days of our life;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Source: from Mozarabic Morning Prayer from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 58-59

Graphic: Mozarabic manuscript from the Cathedral of Leon, from Wikimedia Commons.

A Prayer for Grace

antifonariodelec3b3n1

O Lord Jesus Christ,
you took on yourself the weakness of our mortal nature.
Grant that we may pass this day in safety without sin,
resisting all the temptations of the enemy,
that in the evening, we may joyfully praise you,
O King eternal, through your mercy.
O our God, you are blessed, and live and rule over all things,
forever and ever.
Amen.

Source: from Mozarabic Morning Prayer from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 58-59

Graphic: Mozarabic manuscript from the Cathedral of Leon, from Wikimedia Commons.

Prayer for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

O God,
you are the well of life,
and in your light we shall see light.
When we thirst give us living water
and enlighten our darkened minds with heavenly light;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 34 #1 (Trinity 12)

Watchful, Humble and Diligent Spirits

Into your hands, O Lord,
we commit ourselves this day.
Give each of us a watchful, humble, and diligent spirit,
that we may seek to know your will in all things,
and when we know it, that we may perform it completely and gladly,
to the honor and glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary

Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com

You Know Our Needs before We Ask

Almighty God,
you know our needs before we ask,
and our ignorance in asking:
Set your servants free
from all anxious thoughts about the future,
give us contentment with your good gifts,
and confirm our faith
that as we seek your kingdom,
you will not let us lack any good thing;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Augustine of Hippo

Source of this version: Parish Prayers, Compiled and edited by Frank Colquhoun
Hodder and Stoughton, 1967

http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/print_w_comments/62035/

Version in traditional English:

Almighty God, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: Set free thy servants from all anxious thoughts for the morrow; give us contentment with thy good gifts; and confirm our faith that according as we seek thy kingdom, thou wilt not suffer us to lack any good thing, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A similar prayer is found in the prayer books of the Church of England:

ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of all wisdom, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: We beseech thee to have compassion upon our infirmities; and those things, which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source of this version: The Shorter Prayer Book (1946)

For the Spirit of Prayer

O almighty God,
every good prayer comes from you,
and you pour out the Spirit of grace and prayer
on all who desire it.
Deliver us from coldness of heart
and wanderings of mind
when we draw near you,
that with steadfast thoughts
and warmed affections
we may worship you in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: William Bright, Ancient Collects, p. 233 #1

This prayer was written by William Bright himself “in imitation of the ancient model.”

Original in traditional English:

O Almighty God, from Whom every good prayer cometh, and Who pourest out on all who desire it the Spirit of grace and supplications; deliver us, when we draw nigh to Thee, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind; that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship Thee in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Your Light We See Light

O God,
you are the Well of Life,
and in your Light we see light.
Give us your living water when we thirst
and enlighten our darkened minds with heavenly light;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Source: Freely modified from Mozarabic Collects, ed. Rev. Chas. R. Hale, New York, 1881, p. 34 #1 (Trinity 12)

Help Us

Antiphon

Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. (Psalm 79:8 ESV)

Prayer

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name. O Lord, deliver us, and forgive us our sins, for your name’s sake. Protect the souls who confess to you, and finally, do not forget souls of the poor. Remember your covenant, O Lord, who lives and reigns, 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 “Adjuva nos, Deus, salutaris noster / Help us, O God of our salvation” is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Original in Latin:

40. Oratio communis fratrum
Ant. Ne memineris iniquitatum nostrarum antiquarum; cito anticipent nos misericordiae tuae, quia pauperes facti sumus nimis.
Oratio. Adjuva nos, Deus, salutaris noster, propter gloriam nominis tui. Domine, libera nos, et propitius esto peccatis nostris propter nomen tuum. Ne tradas bestiis animam confitentem tibi. Animas pauperum tuorum ne obliviscaris in finem. Respice in testamentum tuum. Domine Qui regnas &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.