Tag: extended collect

The Collects of Veit Dietrich

veit-dietrichVeit 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

 

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Awaken and Illuminate Us

O God,
you divide the day from the night.
Separate us and all we do
from the gloom of darkness.
As you have awakened our bodies from sleep,
awaken our souls from sin.
As the light of the day has brightened our eyes,
illuminate our hearts with the light of your Word and the Holy Spirit.
Today, empower us as children of the light
to walk in obedience to you,
that in all our thoughts, words, and actions
we may strive to keep faith and a clean conscience
toward you, and toward all;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source of this version: A Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, 1896, p. 191 #2

This prayer may be an expansion of the thoughts in “Hearts and Minds Unshadowed”

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A Morning Prayer

O Lord, you are the light in the darkness,
Creator of all of the elements,
Forgiver of our sins;
O Lord, may your great mercy be on us
as we seek you with our whole heart.
We hear of your majesty, O Lord, in the morning. 
Blot out our sins,
for nothing is hidden from you,
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.

© 2016 Paul C. Stratman

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Translation of Prayer “Tu es, Domine, illuminator caliginum / O Lord, you are the light in the darkness,” 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:

38. Ad matutinam.

Tu es, Domine, illuminator caliginum, conditorque elementorum, remissor criminum; misericordia tua, Domine, magna est super eos qui te toto corde requirunt. Majestas tua, Domine, mane nos exaudiat, et deleat delicta nostra quae tibi non sunt abdita, 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. 

Our Hope and Our Heart’s Delight

littlemoreO God,
you are life, wisdom, truth,
bounty, and blessedness,
the eternal, the only true good,
our God and our Lord,
our hope and our heart’s delight,
we acknowledge with thanksgiving
that you have made us in your image,
and that we may direct our thoughts to you.
Lord, make us to know you aright,
that we may love, enjoy, and possess you
more and more;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Anselm of Canterbury, d. 1109

Source of this version: Freely 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. 70 #3

Reveal Yourself to Us

johannes-scotus-erigenaO God,
you are the everlasting essence of all things,
beyond space and time,
and yet within them.
You transcend and fill all things.
Show yourself to us,
who look for you and seek you
despite the shades of our ignorance.
Stretch forth your hand to help us.
Without you we cannot come to you.
Reveal yourself to us who seek nothing beside you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Source: John Scotus Eriugena

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. 47 #1

Open Wide the Door of My Heart

The Last ChapterLord God almighty,
open wide the door of my heart
and illumine it with the grace of the Holy Spirit,
that I may seek what is pleasing to your will.
Guide my thoughts and my heart,
and lead my life in the way of your commandments,
that I may always seek to fulfill them,
and that I may grasp the eternal joys of the heavenly life;
through  Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: The Venerable Bede (672–735)

Source of this version: Freely 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. 44 #4

Prayer for Healing while Hospitalized

Gracious Father,
all health and healing are gifts from your hand.
We pray for N,
give his doctors and nurses the wisdom and skill
as they work for his healing*.
While he waits and faces many unknowns,
calm all doubts and fears with the Word of your promise
that nothing can separate us from your love
that is ours in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39).
Speed N’s healing if it is your will,
and give him an extra measure of patience
as he waits for you to work all these things for his good (Romans 8:28);
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Paul C. Stratman

*  “as they work for his healing” can be made more specific, “as they do tests to find what is wrong,” or “as they perform surgery”

© 2016 Paul C. Stratman

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Prayer for Healing while Hospitalized by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

I Come in Confidence in Your Sweet Word

brooklyn_museum_-_the_communion_of_the_apostles_la_communion_des_apc3b4tres_-_james_tissotLord Jesus Christ,
truly I am not worthy that you should come under my roof,
yet I need your help and desire your grace,
that I may attain godliness and salvation.
I come now in no other confidence than this,
that I have heard the sweet words of your invitation to your table,
and though I am unworthy, you promised me
forgiveness of my sins through your body and blood
which I eat and drink in this Sacrament.
O dear Lord, I know that your divine Word and promise are true.
I do not doubt them,
and resting on them,
I eat and drink with you.
Let it be to me according to your word.
Amen.

Source: Martin Luther

Source of this version: Modified from Prayers from the collection of the late baron Bunsen, selected [from Versuch eines allgemeinen evangelischen Gesang – und Gebetbuchs] and tr. by C. Winkworth, 1871, p.182

Picture by James Tissot, public domain

Variant:

Lord, it is certainly true that I am unworthy to have you come under my roof, but I am so needy and long for your help and grace so that I may become righteous. Therefore, I come to you, trusting in nothing other than the sweet words which I have heard, with which you invite me to your Table and say to me, who am so unworthy, that I will receive forgiveness of my sins through your Body and Blood if I eat and drink of them in this Sacrament. Amen! Dear Lord, your word is true; this I do not doubt; and on this promise I eat and drink with you; let it be to me according to your will and word. Amen.

Source: Modified from http://www.godrules.net/library/luther/NEW1luther_f7.htm

 

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Holy Spirit, Come to Us

hortus_deliciarum_pfingsten_und_die_aussendung_des_heiligen_geistes_auf_die_apostelGod the Holy Spirit,
you are of one essence with the Father and the Son,
and you proceed from them.
You descended on the Lord Christ in the form of a dove,
and on his disciples as tongues of flame.
We thank you, we praise you,
and pray that you would chase from our souls
all the darkness of evil
and kindle in us the light of your grace
and the fire of your love;
you live and reign,
true God forever and ever.
Amen.

Source: Augustine

Source of this version: Modified from Prayers from the collection of the late baron Bunsen, selected [from Versuch eines allgemeinen evangelischen Gesang – und Gebetbuchs] and tr. by C. Winkworth, 1871, p.123-124

Graphic:  Hortus deliciarum of Herrad of Landsberg from Wikipedia.com

 

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Jesus, Bread of Life

brooklyn_museum_-_the_communion_of_the_apostles_la_communion_des_apc3b4tres_-_james_tissotSon of the Living God,
you are the true Bread of Life.
You feed and satisfy with your body and blood
all sorrowful souls and aching consciences
and hungering and thirsting hearts,
and you have invited us to this heavenly feast.
Receive us in your grace,
feed and quicken our poor souls
with your body and blood
for eternal life.
Amen.

Source: Augustine

Source of this version: Modified from Prayers from the collection of the late baron Bunsen, selected [from Versuch eines allgemeinen evangelischen Gesang – und Gebetbuchs] and tr. by C. Winkworth, 1871, p.118

Picture by James Tissot, public domain

 

 

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