Oremus–Let Us Pray! is an updating of the classic resource by Paul Zeller Strodach, which is now in the public domain. The original can be viewed here: https://archive.org/details/oremuscollectsde00unse/page/n5/mode/2up
This revision puts all the prayers of Oremus into contemporary English, making the book a useful resource for personal devotion and public worship.
Available in paperback or for Kindle through Amazon.com.
Almighty and eternal God,
you have given your servants
who confess of the true faith
the duty to acknowledge
the glory of the eternal Trinity,
and to worship the true Unity
in the power of the divine majesty.
Keep us steadfast in this faith,
and always defend us from all adversities;
for you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
live and reign,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Historic Collect for the Holy Trinity, Late Gregorian
O God,
you gave your Holy Spirit to your apostles.
Give your faithful people
what they ask for in their prayers
so that those you have given faith
may also receive your peace;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Historic collect for Pentecost Monday, Gregorian
O God,
on this day you taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit.
By that same Spirit
give us a right judgment in all things
that we may always rejoice in his holy comfort;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Historic collect for Pentecost, Gregorian
Original in Latin:
Deus, qui hodierna die corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de ejus sember consolatione gaudere.
Cranmer 1459 has it as:
GOD, whiche as upon this daye haste [hast] taughte the heartes of thy faithful people, by the sending to them the lyght of thy holy spirite; graunte us by the same spirite to have a right judgement in al thinges, and evermore to rejoyce in hys holy coumforte; through the merites of Christ Jesus our saviour; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unitie of the same spirite, one God, worlde without ende.A
A prayer in the office of Terce is identical, with the omission of “on this day.”
Almighty God,
grant that we who have celebrated your Paschal feast
may hold on to your bountiful goodness
in life and behavior;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Gregorian
Almighty God,
on this day you conquered death
and opened to us the gate of eternal life
through your only Son.
As you put good desires in our minds,
help us to carry them out in our actions;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Gregorian
Almighty God,
grant that we who celebrate your Paschal feast
may be kindled with heavenly desires
and thirst for the fountain of life;
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Gregorian
Almighty God,
grant that we who celebrate the solemnities
of the Lord’s resurrection
may rise again from the death of the soul
by the renewal of your Holy Spirit;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Gregorian
O God,
for our redemption you gave your only Son,
Jesus Christ,
to suffer death on the cross,
and by his glorious resurrection
you have delivered us from the power of the enemy.
May we die to sin daily
so that we may always live with him
in the joy of his resurrection;
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Gregorian
Almighty God,
grant that we who are are bathed
in the new light of your incarnate Word
may reflect the faith
that shines in our hearts
in all we do;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Historic Collect for Christmas Day (Christmas II), Gregorian, 10th Century.
Source of this version: Newly translated for A Collection of Prayers.
Original in Latin:
Da, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, ut dum nova incarnati Verbi tui luce perfundimur, hoc in nostro resplendeat opere, quod per fidem fulget in mente.
Bosco Peters gives the original with various translations in this article.
Almighty and eternal God,
direct our actions with what pleases you,
that in the name of your beloved Son
we may be made to abound in good works;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Historic Collect for the Sunday after Christmas, Gregorian, 10th Century
Source of this version: Newly translated for A Collection of Prayers
Original in Latin:
Omnípotens sempitérne Deus, dírige actus nostros in beneplácito tuo, ut in nómine dilécti Fílii tui mereámur bonis opéribus abundáre. Per Dóminum.
Lord, hear our prayers,
and lighten the darkness of our hearts
by your gracious appearing;
for you live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Historic Collect for the Third Sunday in Advent, Gregorian, 10th Century
Source of this version: Newly translated for A Collection of Prayers
Original in Latin:
Aurem tuam, quæsumus, Dómine, précibus nostris accómmoda: et mentis nostræ ténebras, grátia tuæ visitatiónis illústra; Qui vivis…
See this article by Bosco Peters.
Stir up your power, O Lord, and come.
Rescue and protect us
from the threatening perils of our sins by your might;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Source: Historic Collect for the First Sunday in Advent, Gregorian, 10th Century
Source of this version: Newly translated for A Collection of Prayers
Original in Latin:
Excita, quaesumus Domine, potentiam tuam, et veni: ut ab imminentibus peccatorum nostrorum periculis, etmereamur protegente eripi, te liberante salvari. Qui vivas et regnas cum Deo Patre in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus: per omnia saecula saeculorum.
A Collection of Prayers 