petition – A Collection of Prayers

Failures, Successes, Healing

220px-sandro_botticelli_050 Lord, I commit my failures
as well as my successes
into your hands,
and I bring for your healing
the people and the situations,
the wrongs and the hurts of the past.

Give me courage, strength and generosity
to let go and move on,
leaving the past behind me,
and living the present to the full.

Lead me always to be positive
as I ‘entrust the past to your mercy,
the present to your love,
and the future to your providence’.

Source: Attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430

Source of this version: http://thedailyprayerblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-prayer-to-let-go-and-move-on.html

Almighty God,
you are the only source of health and healing.
In you there is calm,
and the only true peace in the universe.
Grant to each one of us your children
an awareness of your presence,
and give us perfect confidence in you.
In all pain and weariness and anxiety
teach us to yield ourselves to your never failing care,
knowing that your love and power surround us,
trusting in your wisdom and providence
to give us health and strength and peace
when your time is best;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: The Nazarene, Vols. 7-9, 1922

Original in traditional English:

Almighty God, who art the only source of health and healing, the spirit of calm and the central peace of the universe, grant to us Thy children, such a consciousness of Thy indwelling presence as may give us perfect confidence in Thee. In all pain and weariness and anxiety may we throw ourselves upon Thy protecting care, that knowing ourselves fenced about by Thy loving omnipotence, we may permit Thee to give us health and strength and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hope that Comes from God’s Promise

O Father in heaven,
look upon all your people
who struggle
with anger, anxiety,
doubt, frustration,
guilt, hopelessness,
loss, memories,
lack of patience,
pain, regret,
sadness, selfishness,
temptation and weakness.

Your holy Word tells us
“All things work together
for the good of those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.”
And that means that you make all these things work
for your good purpose in our lives,
even when we do not understand.

Remind us of your invitation,
“Cast all your cares upon me,”
and of your assurance that goes with it,
“because I care for you.”

…through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Source: Paul C. Stratman, 2017

“All things work together…” is a reference to Romans 8:28

“Cast all your cares… is a reference to 1 Peter 5:7

At the Death of a Christian Brother or Sister

800px-2015-01-25_headstone_of_james_corrigan2c_seir_kieran_cemetery2c_clareen

O Lord God, Lord of life and death,
you turn man to dust and say,
“Return, O children of men,”
we give you thanks for all the mercies
which during his life you bestowed
on this our beloved brother, now fallen asleep.
Especially do we praise you
for having brought him to the knowledge
of your dear Son Jesus Christ.
Comfort the survivors
with your everlasting comfort,
and cheer them with the sweet hope
of a blessed reunion in heaven.
Grant to the lifeless body
rest in the bosom of the earth,
and hereafter, together with us all,
a joyful resurrection to life everlasting.
Teach us all to number our days
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom,
and finally be saved;
through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son,
our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Source: Liturgy and Agenda (1921), p. 134

prayer for the dead in middle ages

prayers for the dead

After One Has Departed in the Lord

Thanks and praise be rendered now and forevermore
to Christ Jesus, Lord of glory and Prince of life,
for having so graciously delivered this sainted brother,
and received his soul into his holy hands.
We pray him to reunite the soul with the body
in heavenly brightness on the last day,
and to grant to us a godly walk
and an equally happy departure
at the time appointed of God.
Restore, O Lord, all distressed hearts with sweet comfort
and keep all of us always in your grace
for the sake of your eternal mercy and goodness.
Amen, O most holy and exalted Trinity. Amen! Amen!

Source: Modified from The Abridged Treasury of Prayers: An Epitome from the Larger Gebets-Schatz, 1906, #64

Heal Those I Have Wounded

O Lord God,
almighty and all merciful,
heal those I have wounded,
strengthen those I have weakened,
set right those I have misled,
call back to yourself those I have alienated from you.
Amen.

Source: Freely modified from The Old World and the New, ed. L. H. M. Soulsby, p. 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.

Bring Me Near You

My Lord and my God, take everything from me that keeps me from you.
My Lord and my God, give everything to me that brings me near to you.
My Lord and my God, take me away from myself and give me completely to you.

Source: Nicholas of Flüe, d. 1487

Source of this version: Modified from http://themathesontrust.org/library/nicholas-of-flue-brother-klaus

Protect Us this Day

Protect us this day,
O Lord, holy Father,
almighty and eternal God,
and in your compassion and mercy,
help and guide us.
Enlighten our hearts
and keep our thoughts, words and works
pleasing in your sight,
that we may do your will
and walk in your path of righteousness
our whole life long.
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 Prayer “Esto nobis protector in ista die / Protect Us this Day” 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:

16. Collectio Ad Secundam

Esto nobis protector in ista die, Domine. sancte Pater, omnipotens aeterne Deus, et miserator et misericors, et auxiliator et dux nobis, et illuminator cordium nostrorum. Custodi, Domine, cogitationes, sermones. opera, ut possimus placere in conspectu tuo, Domine, et perficere voluntatem tuam, et ambulare in via recta toto nostrae vita; tempore.

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