gelasian – Page 5 – A Collection of Prayers

Keep Us in Your Grace

God of all power and might,
author and giver of all that is good,
put in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and in your great mercy keep us in your grace;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Guide Those Established in Your Love

Lord,
may we always love and revere your holy name,
for you never fail to guide
those you establish firmly in your love;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Sarum Rite, Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

Give Us Strength

O God, the strength of all who hope in you,
mercifully accept our prayers.
Because of our weakness
we can do nothing good without you.
Give us strength to keep your commandments
so that we may please you in will and deed;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary, 8th Century, Historic Collect for the First Sunday after Trinity

This translation is licensed by Paul C. Stratman under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for permission for any commercial use.

The Historic Collects

This edition of the historic collects is based in small part on the translations of the historic collects in the older liturgy books (Book of Common Prayer 1928, The Lutheran Hymnal, Service Book and Hymnal), but does not rely entirely on the old versions. The prayers were checked against the original prayers in their (mostly) Latin sources which are available in Luther Reed’s The Lutheran Liturgy. Reed’s comments on each prayer were also noted.

This work combines all the prayers from The Lutheran Liturgy/Service Book and Hymnal and The Lutheran Hymnal, along with a few from Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (1996). The newer translations and versions in Lutheran Book of Worship and Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal were also consulted.

The redundancies and other elements that were added in older English translations have been removed, along with a few of the redundancies inherent in the prayers. As with my previous projects, the goal is to focus on the meaning of the prayers and to make them useful and understandable to the modern reader.

Download here: THE HISTORIC COLLECTS

Also available through Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/28073230/The_Historic_Collects

You Raised Up the Fallen World

O God,
by the humiliation of your Son
you raised up the fallen world.
Give your faithful people constant gladness,
deliverance from the danger of eternal death,
and make us partakers of eternal joys;
through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary

A new translation of the Historic Collect for the Second Sunday after Easter

Translation of “Deus, qui in Filii tui humilitate…” by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

Preserve Us with Your Mercy

O Lord,
preserve your church with your perpetual mercy.
Without you, our mortal flesh can only fail.
Keep us and lead us away from all things hurtful,
and lead us to all things beneficial for our salvation;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary

A new translation of the Historic Collect for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.

Translation of “Custodi, Domine, quaesumus…” by Paul C. Stratman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please contact for any commercial usage.

The Medicine of Heavenly Grace

O God,
you always govern your creatures
with tender affection.
Hear our prayers
and graciously help your servant
who is suffering from bodily sickness.
Visit him with your salvation
and give him the medicine of heavenly grace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Rite

Source of this version: Freely modified from Benediction of a Parish House or Mission Room, Book of Offices, 1914

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

Let Your Spirit Rule Our Hearts

O God,
because without you we are not able to please you,
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary

Source of this version: Book of Common Prayer 1979 (Proper 19).

Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com

Keep Us from All Hurtful Things

Almighty and merciful God,
in your goodness keep us, we pray,
from all things that may hurt us,
that we, being ready both in mind and body,
may accomplish with free hearts
those things which belong to your purpose;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Source: Gelasian Sacramentary

Source of this version: Book of Common Prayer 1979 (Proper 2).

Graphic, Gelasian Sacramentary, from Wikipedia.com