{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_48242/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_48242","id":"gutenberg_48242","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48242","summary":null,"tags":["Category: History - Medieval/Middle Ages","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Prayers"],"text":"PRAYERS\n of the\n MIDDLE AGES\n\n\n Light from a Thousand Years\n\n\n Edited by\n J. MANNING POTTS\n\n[Illustration: logo]\n\n THE UPPER ROOM\n The World\u2019s Most Widely Used Devotional Guide\n 1908 Grand Avenue\n Nashville 5, Tennessee\n\n Second Printing\n\n \u00a9 Copyright, 1954\n by\n The Upper Room\n Nashville, Tennessee\n\n UR-79-25-5-0962\n Printed in the United States of America\n\n\n\n\n Preface\n\n\nThis is a companion volume to the Prayers of the Early Church. That\nlittle volume has been started on its way and the editor has been\nencouraged to do this one on the Prayers of the Middle Ages.\n\nThe period covered by these prayers is that of a thousand years from\nA.D. 500 to A.D. 1500. Generally speaking, the period is from the fall\nof Rome to the Reformation. This period was formerly called the Dark\nAges. Evidence of the lack of light has been found in the lack of\nmaterial in some of the centuries. It has been hard to find any prayers\nin a few. However, taken collectively, it is seen that there was much\nlight that came out of these ages. The Church was kept alive by those\nwho kept the light burning. The latter half of this period is now called\nthe Golden Age of Mysticism.\n\nThe arrangement of the prayers is century by century. There are some\nquestions about dates of these as well as authorship. The authorities do\nnot always agree.\n\nWe are indebted to many collections of prayers and to other sources.\nSome of the books which have been most valuable are _Prayers of the\nAges_, compiled by Caroline S. Whitmarsh; _Of the Imitation of Christ;\nGreat Souls at Prayer_, arranged by Mrs. Mary W. Tileston; _The Cloud of\nWitness_, by Hon. Mrs. Gell; _Prayers_, from the collection of the late\nBaron Bunsen; _A Chain of Prayer Across the Ages_, compiled by Selina\nFitzherbert Fox; _Prayers We Love to Pray_, arranged by Edward Leigh\nPell; _Morning Readings_, compiled by Frank M. Rich; _Prayers of the\nSaints_, by Cecil Headlam; _Prayers Ancient and Modern_, compiled by\nMary Wilder Tileston; _Ancient Collects_, by Rev. William Bright;\n_Prayers_, Massachusetts Council of the Church Service League;\n_Theologia Germanica_; _The Cloud of Unknowing_; _His Words of\nAdmonition_ and _Praises of God_, by St. Francis of Assisi; _Common\nPrayers for Family Use_, by Westcott.\n\nThe main purpose of this little volume is for individual and family\ndevotions. However, it is found that prayers like these are read in\nworship services, in prayer cells, and prayer meetings. Young people\u2019s\nand women\u2019s groups constantly make use of them. This little book is\nrecommended for all types of worship services and for use in church\nbulletins. Many other ways will be found to use them.\n\nThe editor wishes to acknowledge his deep debt of gratitude to the late\nlamented Dr. J. Minton Batten, professor of church history in Vanderbilt\nUniversity, and to Miss Clarice Winstead, secretary to the editor, for\ntheir invaluable service in compiling this book of prayers.\n\n J. Manning Potts\n Editor, The Upper Room\n Nashville, Tennessee\n\n\n\n\n Contents\n\n\n PAGE\n SIXTH CENTURY 7\n Gregory the Great, Gregorian Sacramentary, Ancient Collects,\n Columba\n SEVENTH CENTURY 15\n Mozarabic Breviary, Mozarabic Liturgy, Mozarabic Sacramentary\n EIGHTH CENTURY 31\n Venerable Bede, Alcuin, Gallican Collect, A Gallican\n Sacramentary, Theodore Studita\n NINTH CENTURY 37\n Dionysius of the Syrian Jacobite Church, John Scotus Erigena,\n Alfred the Great, Old Rheims Manuscript\n TENTH CENTURY 41\n Anonymous, Ethelwold of York, Dunstan of Canterbury\n ELEVENTH CENTURY 45\n Anselm, Sarum Breviary, Roman Breviary\n TWELFTH CENTURY 61\n Bernard of Clairvaux, Dan Jeremy\n THIRTEENTH CENTURY 65\n Francis of Assisi, Richard of Chichester, Thomas Aquinas,\n Bonaventura, Richard Rolle\n FOURTEENTH CENTURY 73\n Johannes Tauler, Thomas Bradwardine, Ludolphus of Saxony,\n Raymond Jordanus, Theologia Germanica\n FIFTEENTH CENTURY 77\n Thomas \u00e0 Kempis, Michelangelo\n\n\n\n\n SIXTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n For Forgiveness\n\nO God, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive,\nreceive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the\nchain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of Thy great mercy loose us;\nfor the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator, and Advocate. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregory the Great\n\n\n For Easter Sunday Giving\n\nO God, who for our redemption didst give Thine only begotten Son to the\ndeath of the Cross, and by His glorious resurrection hast delivered us\nfrom the power of the enemy, grant us to die daily to sin, that we may\nevermore live with Him, in the joy of His resurrection; through the same\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregory the Great\n\n\n For Mercy\n\nO God, the Protector of all that trust in Thee, without whom nothing is\nstrong, nothing is holy, increase and multiply upon us Thy mercy; that,\nThou being our Ruler and Guide, we may so pass through things temporal\nthat we finally lose not the things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly\nFather, for Jesus Christ\u2019s sake our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n Collect\n\nAlmighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from\nwhom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the\ninspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and\nworthily magnify Thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n For Grace and Power\n\nO Lord, we beseech Thee mercifully to receive the prayers of Thy people\nwho call upon Thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what\nthings they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to\nfulfill the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n For the World\n\nAlmighty and everlasting God, the Brightness of faithful souls, fill the\nworld with Thy glory, we pray Thee, and show Thyself, by the radiance of\nThy light, to all the nations of the world, through Jesus Christ, our\nLord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n For Morning\n\nAlmighty God who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help\nourselves; keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our\nsouls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to\nthe body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the\nsoul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n A Litany for Strength Against Sin\n\nO God, who didst wonderfully create and more wonderfully redeem mankind,\ngrant us with steadfast mind to resist the allurements of sin that we\nmay attain to the joys of everlasting life.\n\n_We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord._ Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n For Bishops and Pastors\n\nO God, who rulest over Thy people with fatherly love, give the spirit of\nwisdom to all who have received from Thee authority of government, that\nthe welfare of Thy people may turn to the everlasting joy of their\npastors, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n For the Defense of Christ\u2019s Church\n\nO Lord, we beseech Thee to keep Thy Church and household continually in\nThy true religion, that they who do lean only upon the hope of Thy\nheavenly grace may evermore be defended by Thy mighty power; through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n For Forgiveness and Deliverance\n\nO Christ, our Creator and Redeemer, Almighty Lord God, forgive the sins\nof all who are joined to us by friendship and relationship, all for whom\nwe are desired to pray, or have resolved to pray, and all Thy faithful\npeople. Deliver us all from evil, preserve us in all good, and bring us\nat last to everlasting joy; for Thine honour and glory. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n For All in Special Need of Protection\n\nO God, who willest not the death of a sinner, protect with Thy heavenly\naid those persons who may now be exposed to special temptations; and\ngrant that in the fulfilment of Thy commandments they may be\nstrengthened by the assistance of Thy grace; through Jesus Christ our\nLord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n For Love\n\nO God, who by the grace of the Holy Ghost hast poured the gifts of love\ninto the hearts of Thy faithful people, grant unto all Thy servants in\nThy mercy health of body and soul, that they may love Thee with all\ntheir strength, and with perfect affection fulfill Thy pleasure; through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n Epiphany\n\nAlmighty and everlasting God, the Brightness of faithful souls, who\ndidst bring the Gentiles to Thy light, and made known unto them Him who\nis the true Light, and the bright and morning Star, fill, we beseech\nThee, the world with Thy glory, and show Thyself by the radiance of Thy\nlight unto all nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gregorian Sacramentary\n\n\n Prayer for Pardon\n\nO Lord Jesus Christ, who didst give Thy life for us that we might\nreceive pardon and peace; mercifully cleanse us from all sin, and\nevermore keep us in Thy favour and love, who livest and reignest with\nthe Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014An Ancient Collect\n\n\n For the Loving Care of the Good Shepherd\n\nO Lord Jesus Christ, Thou, good Shepherd of the sheep, who camest to\nseek the lost, and to gather them to Thy fold, have compassion upon\nthose who have wandered from Thee; feed those who hunger, cause the\nweary to lie down in Thy pastures, bind up those who are broken in\nheart, and strengthen those who are weak, that we, relying on Thy care\nand being comforted by Thy love, may abide in Thy guidance to our lives\u2019\nend; for Thy name\u2019s sake. Amen.\n\n \u2014An Ancient Collect\n\n\n For Light\n\nO Thou who art the Sun of Righteousness and the Light Eternal, giving\ngladness unto all things; shine upon us both now and for ever, that we\nmay walk alway in the light of Thy countenance; through Jesus Christ our\nLord. Amen.\n\n \u2014An Ancient Collect\n\n\n For Rest\n\nBe present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of\nthis night, so that we who are wearied by the work and the changes of\nthis fleeting world may rest upon Thy eternal changelessness; through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014An Ancient Collect\n\n\n For Morning\n\nO God, who hast folded back the mantle of the night to clothe us in the\ngolden glory of the day, chase from our hearts all gloomy thoughts, and\nmake us glad with the brightness of hope, that we may effectively aspire\nto unwon virtues, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014An Ancient Collect\n\n\n For Love and Light\n\nO Lord, give us, we beseech Thee, in the name of Jesus Christ Thy Son\nour God, that love which can never cease, that will kindle our lamps but\nnot extinguish them, that they may burn in us and enlighten others. Do\nThou, O Christ, our dearest Saviour, Thyself kindle our lamps, that they\nmay evermore shine in Thy temple, that they may receive unquenchable\nlight from Thee that will enlighten our darkness, and lessen the\ndarkness of the world. Lord Jesus, we pray Thee give Thy light to our\nlamps, that in its light the most holy place may be revealed to us in\nwhich Thou dwellest as the Eternal Priest, that we may always behold\nThee, desire Thee, look upon Thee in love, and long after Thee, for Thy\nsake. Amen.\n\n \u2014Columba\n\n\n\n\n SEVENTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n A Litany on the Passion\n\nShow us Thy mercy, O Lord, grant pardon, grant remission:\n\n _And have mercy graciously._\n\nThou who, coming to save the world, wert brought to judgment, when Thou\ncomest as Judge, deliver us not up with the ungodly:\n\n _And have mercy graciously._\n\nThou, who wert hung upon the Cross, bear on Thy shoulders the death due\nto our guilt:\n\n _And have mercy graciously._\n\nThou who didst once suffer for the ungodly, and diest no more, mortify\nour vices in us, and heal us by the wound of the Cross:\n\n _And have mercy graciously._\n\nThat in the judgment Thy face may not be turned on us for punishment,\nbut may shine on us with pardon:\n\n _And have mercy graciously._ Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Breviary[1]\n\n\n A Litany on the Passion\n\nO good Shepherd, who didst lay down Thy life for the sheep, remember us:\n\n _Be propitious, and have mercy upon us._\n\nO everlasting Power and Wisdom of the most high God, Thou Word of the\nFather, remember us:\n\n _Be propitious, and have mercy upon us._\n\nO Thou Maker of the world, the Life of all, the Lord of angels, remember\nus:\n\n _Be propitious, and have mercy upon us._\n\nO Lamb of God, who for us wert led as a sheep to the slaughter, remember\nus:\n\n _Be propitious, and have mercy upon us._\n\nO Thou who wert seized, thou guiltless, buffeted, given over to robbers,\nremember us:\n\n _Be propitious, and have mercy upon us._\n\nThou who alone hast by Thy death overcome the death of our guilt,\nremember us:\n\n _Be propitious, and have mercy upon us._ Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Breviary\n\n\n A Litany for Forgiveness\n\nWe cry to Thee, O Lord, do Thou have mercy upon us:\n\n _And grant forgiveness._\n\nO King of heaven, and everlasting Lord, receive the prayers which we\npour forth:\n\n _And grant forgiveness._\n\nVisit the sick\u2014bring forth captives, help the widow and the orphan:\n\n _And grant forgiveness._\n\nWe have sinned and have departed from Thee, do Thou, who art the\nRedeemer of all, save us:\n\n _And grant forgiveness._\n\nHave mercy on the penitent, and wash away the stains of sin:\n\n _And grant forgiveness._ Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Breviary\n\n\n A Litany of Repentance\n\nTurn away, O Lord, the fierceness of Thy wrath, and in pity spare Thy\npeople:\n\n _And have mercy._\n\nGrant a favourable and speedy answer to the prayers of all, we beseech\nThee:\n\n _And have mercy._\n\nDo Thou, O Christ, look upon our groanings, loose the bands of death,\nand grant us life:\n\n _And have mercy._\n\nBehold our tears\u2014consider our sighs, and now at length in pity forgive\nour sins:\n\n _And have mercy._\n\nThough none of us be worthy to be heard, do Thou, O Christ, for Thine\nown self help us:\n\n _And have mercy_. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Breviary\n\n\n A Litany for Personal Dedication\n\nO Lord Jesus Christ, who art the ineffable joy of Christians, take away\nfrom us whatever is not Thine, and make us Thine in all things.\n\n _We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord._ Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Breviary\n\n\n A Litany Against Temptation\n\nRaise up Thy power, and come to deliver us, O Lord our God; that as we\nare overwhelmed by the storms of temptation so we may be raised up by\nthe aid of Thy strength.\n\n _We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord._ Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Breviary\n\n\n For Pardon\n\nO God, the Son of God\u2014so loving, yet hated\u2014so forbearing, yet assaulted\nunto death\u2014who didst show Thyself so gentle and merciful to Thy\npersecutors; grant that through the wounds of Thy passion our sins may\nbe expiated, and as in Thy humiliation Thou didst suffer death for us,\nso now, being glorified, bestow on us everlasting brightness. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Illumination\n\nO glorious, holy, almighty God, who being ever pitiful to the manifold\nwanderings of mankind, didst doubtless for this end guide the Magi, who\ndwelt in dark superstition, by the light of a star to Thy sacred cradle,\nthat Thou mightest kindle all men who were walking in their own errors\nwith the desire of knowing Thee; kindle us also, we pray Thee, with the\nsaving ardour of love for Thee, that we who have already known Thee by\nThy gracious illumination, may be enabled to cleave to Thee for ever.\nAmen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n Confession\n\nHear our prayer, O Lord, and listen to our groanings, for we acknowledge\nour iniquities, and lay open our sins before Thee. Against Thee, O God,\nhave we sinned; to Thee we make our confession, and implore forgiveness.\nTurn Thy face again, O Lord, upon Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed\nwith Thine own blood. Spare us, we pray Thee, and vouchsafe pardon to\nour sins, and be pleased to extend to us Thy loving-kindness and Thy\nmercy. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n Daily Morning Prayer\n\nLet our prayer, O Lord, come before Thee in the morning. Thou didst take\nupon Thee our feeble and suffering nature; grant us to pass this day in\ngladness and peace, without stumbling and without stain; that reaching\nthe even-tide without any temptation, we may praise Thee the Eternal\nKing: through Thy mercy, O our God, who art blessed and dost live, and\ngovern all things, world without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Firm Faith\n\nArise, O Lord, who judgest the earth; and as Thou dwellest in and\npossessest the faith of all nations, suffer us not to abide in darkness;\nand grant that we may not lay the foundations of our faith on the sand\nwhere the whirlwind may overthrow them, but be established on the rock\nwhich is steadfast in Thee. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Christ\u2019s Companionship\n\nJesus, our Master, do Thou meet us while we walk in the way, and long to\nreach the Country; so that, following Thy light, we may keep the way of\nrighteousness, and never wander away into the darkness of this world\u2019s\nnight, while Thou, who art the way, the truth, and the life, art shining\nwithin us; for Thine own name\u2019s sake. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Joy and Peace in the Daily Walk\n\nGrant us, O Lord, to pass this day in gladness and peace, without\nstumbling and without stain; that reaching the eventide victorious over\nall temptation, we may praise Thee, the eternal God, who art blessed,\nand dost govern all things, world without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n \u201cFor the Peace of God, which Passeth All Understanding\u201d\n\nO God who art Peace everlasting, whose chosen reward is the gift of\npeace, and who hast taught us that the peacemakers are Thy children,\npour Thy peace into our souls, that everything discordant may utterly\nvanish, and all that makes for peace be sweet to us for ever; through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Light and Love\n\nLet Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, and the brightness of Thy Spirit\nillumine our inward souls, that He may kindle our cold hearts, and light\nup our dark minds; who abideth evermore with Thee in Thy glory. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Heavenly Light\n\nO God, with whom is the well of life, and in whose light we see light,\nincrease in us, we beseech Thee, the brightness of divine knowledge,\nwhereby we may be able to reach Thy plenteous fountain; impart to our\nthirsting souls the draught of life, and restore to our darkened minds\nthe light from heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For the Church\n\nHear us, O God of our salvation, Thou hope of all the ends of the earth,\nand in Thy strength, set fast as the mountains, the outposts of Thy\npower, and strongholds of lofty virtues. On Thee we rely for gifts of\naspiration, whereby to ascend to the summit of all blessedness; that Thy\nChurch, as it extends to all corners of the world, may soar in faith,\nmay rest in hope, and rise to the full height of charity; through Jesus\nChrist our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n Christmas\n\nO God, to whom glory is sung in the highest, while on earth peace is\nproclaimed among men of goodwill; grant that same goodwill to us Thy\nservants; cleanse us from evil, and give peace to all Thy people;\nthrough Thy mercy, O blessed Lord God, who dost live and govern all\nthings, world without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Rightful Recognition of God, \u201cThe Giver of All Good Things\u201d\n\nO God, who, by making the evening to succeed the day, hast bestowed the\ngift of repose on human weakness, grant, we beseech Thee, that while we\nenjoy those timely blessings we may acknowledge Him from whom they come,\neven Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Sanctification\n\nO Christ our God, who wilt come to judge the world in the manhood which\nThou hast assumed, we pray Thee to sanctify us wholly, that in the day\nof Thy coming our whole spirit, soul, and body may so revive to a fresh\nlife in Thee, that we may live and reign with Thee for ever, to Thine\nhonour and glory; who with the Father and the Holy Spirit liveth and\nreigneth, ever one God. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n Repentance\n\nLet Thy Spirit, O Lord, come into the midst of us, and washing us with\nthe pure water of repentance, prepare us to be always a living sacrifice\nunto Thee; who livest and reignest, ever world without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Direction\n\nMay the infinite and glorious Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy\nGhost, direct our life in good works, and after our passage through this\nworld, grant to us eternal rest with the righteous. Grant this, O\nEternal and Almighty God. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For the Sick and Suffering\n\nO Christ our Lord, who art the Physician of salvation, grant unto all\nwho are sick the aid of heavenly healing. Look upon all faithful people\nwho are sick and who love to call upon Thy name, and take their souls\ninto Thy keeping, and vouchsafe to deliver them from all sickness and\ninfirmity; through Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For New Year\n\nO Thou who art ever the same, grant us so to pass through the coming\nyear with faithful hearts, that we may be able in all things to please\nThy loving eyes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For the Holy Spirit\n\nO Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who with the Father and the Son abidest\none God, descend this day into our hearts, that while Thou makest\nintercession for us, we may with full confidence call upon our Father;\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Perseverance\n\nLook upon us and hear us, O Lord our God; and assist those endeavours to\nplease Thee which Thou Thyself hast granted to us; as Thou hast given\nthe first act of will, so give the completion of the work; grant that we\nmay be able to finish what Thou hast granted us to wish to begin;\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Guidance and Protection\n\nBe Thou, O Lord, our protection, who art our redemption; direct our\nminds by Thy gracious presence, and watch over our paths with guiding\nlove; that among the snares which lie hidden in the path wherein we\nwalk, we may so press onwards with hearts fixed on Thee, that by the\ntrack of faith we may come to be where Thou wouldest have us; through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n For Rulers and the Nations\n\nO heavenly Father, we bend the knee before Thee on behalf of all kings,\nprinces, and governors of this world, beseeching Thee to grant unto them\nby Thy inspiration, to rule in righteousness, to rejoice in peace, to\nshine in piety, and to labour for the well-being of the people committed\nunto them, so that, by the rectitude of the government, all faithful\npeople may live without disturbance in the knowledge of Thee, and labour\nwithout hindrance for Thy glory. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Liturgy\n\n\n At Evening\n\nO Lord God, the Life of mortals, the Light of the faithful, the Strength\nof those who labor, and the Repose of the dead, grant us a tranquil\nnight free from all disturbance; that after an interval of quiet sleep,\nwe may, by Thy bounty, at the return of light, be endued with activity\nfrom the Holy Spirit, and enabled in security to render thanks to Thee.\nAmen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Sacramentary\n\n\n Litany for True Worship\n\nO God, who hast bidden us to worship Thee in spirit and in truth, shadow\nus with the power of Thy Holy Spirit\u2014let Thy mercy and the promised\ngrace of Thy salvation come upon us, that our prayer may be directed\nunto Thee by Him, through whom we believe our sins to be forgiven.\n\n_We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord._ Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Sacramentary\n\n\n Good Friday\n\nToday, O good Jesus, for us Thou didst not hide Thy face from shame and\nspitting. Today, Jesus our Redeemer, for us Thou wast mocked, buffeted\nby unbelievers, and crowned with thorns. Today, O good Shepherd, Thou\ndidst lay down Thy life on the Cross for the sheep, and wast crucified\nwith robbers, and hadst Thy sacred hands nailed through. Today Thou wast\nlaid in the guarded sepulchre, and the saints burst open their tombs.\nToday, O good Jesus, put an end to our sins, that on the day of Thy\nresurrection we may joyfully receive Thy holy body, and be refreshed\nwith Thy sacred blood. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Sacramentary\n\n\n Easter\n\nThe Day of Resurrection has dawned upon us, the day of true light and\nlife, wherein Christ, the life of believers, arose from the dead. Let us\ngive abundant thanks and praise to God, that while we solemnly celebrate\nthe day of our Lord\u2019s resurrection, He may be pleased to bestow on us\nquiet peace and special gladness; so that being protected from morning\nto night by His favoring mercy, we may rejoice in the gift of our\nRedeemer. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Sacramentary\n\n\n For Spiritual Illumination\n\nHear us, O never-failing Light, Lord our God, our only light, the\nfountain of light, the light of Thine angels, thrones, dominions,\nprincipalities, powers, and of all intelligent beings; who hast created\nthe light of Thy saints. May our souls be lamps of Thine, kindled and\nilluminated by Thee. May they shine and burn with the truth, and never\ngo out in darkness and ashes. May we be Thy house, shining from Thee,\nshining in Thee; may we shine and fail not; may we ever worship Thee; in\nThee may we be kindled, and not be extinguished. Being filled with the\nsplendor of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, may we shine forth inwardly;\nmay the gloom of sins be cleared away, and the light of perpetual faith\nabide with us. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Sacramentary\n\n\n A Good Example\n\nMake us, O Lord, to flourish like pure lilies in the courts of Thine\nhouse, and to show forth to the faithful the fragrance of good words,\nand the example of a Godly life, through Thy mercy and grace. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Sacramentary\n\n\n Evening\n\nO blessed Spirit of Truth, Thou who searchest the heart and triest the\ninmost thoughts, bring, I pray Thee, my sins to my remembrance, and\ngrant me light to see and find them out. Strengthen me also with courage\nto confess them truly, hiding nothing, excusing nothing, keeping back\nnothing in my heart; that I may, of Thy mercy, obtain pardon and entire\nabsolution; and, thus healed, may arise and sin no more, through the\nmerits and for the sake of Jesus Christ, my Lord and only Saviour. Amen.\n\n \u2014Mozarabic Sacramentary\n\n\n\n\n EIGHTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n A Petition\n\nAnd now, we beseech Thee Lord Jesus, that to whom Thou dost vouchsafe\nsweet draughts of the words of Thy knowledge, Thou wilt also, of Thy\ngoodness, grant that we may, in due time, come to Thee, the fountain of\nall wisdom, and ever stand before Thy face; for Thy sake. Amen.\n\n \u2014Venerable Bede\n\n\n For the Spirit of Truth\n\nO glorious King, Lord of all power, who triumphing this day didst ascend\nabove the heavens, leave us not orphans, but send down on us, from the\nFather, the spirit of truth which Thou hast promised. Hallelujah! Amen.\n\n \u2014Venerable Bede\n\n\n For Cleansing\n\nAlmighty and merciful God, the Fountain of all goodness, who knowest the\nthoughts of our hearts, we confess unto Thee that we have sinned against\nThee, and done evil in Thy sight. Wash us, we beseech Thee, from the\nstains of our past sins, and give us grace and power to put away all\nhurtful things; so that, being delivered from the bondage of sin, we may\nbring forth worthy fruits of repentance.\n\nO eternal Light, shine into our hearts. O eternal Goodness, deliver us\nfrom evil. O eternal Power, be Thou our support. Eternal Wisdom, scatter\nthe darkness of our ignorance. Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us. Grant\nunto us that with all our hearts, and minds, and strength, we may\nevermore seek Thy face; and finally bring us, in Thine infinite mercy,\nto Thy holy presence. So strengthen our weakness that, following in the\nfootsteps of Thy blessed Son, we may obtain Thy mercy, and enter into\nThy promised Joy. Amen.\n\n \u2014Alcuin\n\n\n For Illumination\n\nO most merciful God, incline Thy loving ears to our prayers, and\nilluminate the hearts of those called by Thee, with the grace of the\nHoly Spirit, that they may be enabled worthily to minister to Thy\nmysteries, and to love Thee with an everlasting love, and to attain\neverlasting joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Gallican Collect\n\n\n To Be Set Free\n\nO God, who art the Author of love, and the Lover of pure peace and\naffection, let all who are terrified by fears, afflicted by poverty,\nharassed by tribulation, worn down by illness, be set free by Thine\nindulgent tenderness, raised up by amendment of life, and cherished by\nThy daily compassion, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014A Gallican Sacramentary\n\n\n For a Friend Before a Journey\n\nO God, who bestowest Thy mercy at all times on them that love Thee, and\nin no place art distant from those that serve Thee; direct the way of\nThy servant in Thy will, that having Thee for _his_ Protector and Guide,\n_he_ may walk without stumbling in the paths of righteousness, through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014A Gallican Sacramentary\n\n\n For Christian Graces\n\nGive me, O Lord, purity of lips, a clean and innocent heart, and\nrectitude of action. Give me humility, patience, abstinence, chastity,\nprudence, justice, fortitude, temperance. Give me the spirit of wisdom\nand understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of\nknowledge and godliness, and of Thy fear. Make me ever to seek Thy face\nwith all my heart, all my soul, all my mind; grant me to have a contrite\nand humbled heart in Thy presence\u2014to prefer nothing to Thy love. Most\nhigh, eternal, and ineffable Wisdom, drive away from me the darkness of\nblindness and ignorance; most high and eternal Strength, deliver me;\nmost high and eternal Fortitude, assist me; most high and\nincomprehensible Light, illuminate me; most high and infinite Mercy,\nhave mercy on me. Amen.\n\n \u2014A Gallican Sacramentary\n\n\n For Help to All\n\n[O God,] give perfection to beginners, give intelligence to the little\nones, give aid to those who are running their course. Give compunction\nto the negligent, give fervor of spirit to the lukewarm, give to the\nperfect a good consummation. Amen.\n\n \u2014A Gallican Sacramentary\n\n\n For Mercy\n\nO Lord, who didst give to Thine Apostles peace, shed down upon us all\nThy holy calm; gather together with Thy hand all those who are\nscattered, and bring them like sheep into the fold of Thy holy Church,\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord.\n\nStrengthen and confirm me, O Lord, by Thy Cross, on the rock of faith,\nthat my mind be not shaken by the attacks of the enemy. For Thou alone\nart holy.\n\nThou knowest, O Lord, how many and great are my sins, Thou knowest how\noften I sin, from day to day, from hour to hour, in the things I do and\nthe things I leave undone. No more, O Lord, no more, O Lord my God, will\nI provoke Thee; no more shall my desire be for anything but Thee, for\nThou alone art truly lovable. And if again I offend in anything, I\nhumbly beseech Thee of Thy mercy to grant me strength to find favour\nagain in Thy sight and to live in a manner more pleasing to Thee. Amen.\n\n \u2014Theodore Studita\n\n\n\n\n NINTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n For Unity\n\nO God the Father, origin of Divinity, good beyond all that is good, fair\nbeyond all that is fair, in whom is calmness, peace, and concord; do\nThou make up the dissensions which divide us from each other, and bring\nus back into a unity of love, which may bear some likeness to Thy divine\nnature. And as Thou art above all things, make us one by the unanimity\nof a good mind, that through the embrace of charity and the bonds of\naffection, we may be spiritually one, as well in ourselves as in each\nother; through that peace of Thine which maketh all things peaceful, and\nthrough the grace, mercy, and tenderness of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n \u2014Dionysius of the Syrian Jacobite Church\n\n\n For Help\n\nO Thou who art the everlasting Essence of things beyond space and time\nand yet within them; Thou who transcendest yet pervadest all things,\nmanifest Thyself unto us, feeling after Thee, seeking Thee in the shades\nof ignorance. Stretch forth Thy hand to help us, who cannot without Thee\ncome to Thee; and reveal Thyself unto us, who seek nothing beside Thee;\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014John Scotus Erigena\n\n\n For Strength and Guidance\n\nLord God Almighty, shaper and ruler of all creatures, we pray Thee for\nThy great mercy, that Thou guide us better than we have done, towards\nThee, and guide us to Thy will, to the need of our soul, better than we\ncan ourselves. And steadfast our mind towards Thy will and to our soul\u2019s\nneed. And strengthen us against the temptations of the devil, and put\nfar from us all lust, and every unrighteousness, and shield us against\nour foes, seen and unseen. And teach us to do Thy will, that we may\ninwardly love Thee before all things, with a pure mind. For Thou art our\nmaker and our redeemer, our help, our comfort, our trust, our hope;\npraise and glory be to Thee now, ever and ever, world without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Alfred the Great\n\n\n An Acknowledgment of God\u2019s Supremacy\n\nO Thou who art the Father of that Son which hast awakened us, and yet\nurgest us out of the sleep of our sins, and exhortest us that we become\nThine, to Thee, Lord, we pray, who art the supreme truth, for all truth\nthat is, is from Thee. Thee we implore, O Lord, who art the highest\nwisdom, through Thee are wise, all those that are so. Thou art the\nsupreme joy, and from Thee all have become happy that are so. Thou art\nthe highest good, and from Thee all beauty springs. Thou art the\nintellectual light, and from Thee man derives his understanding. To\nThee, O God, we call and speak. Hear us, O Lord, for Thou art our God\nand our Lord, our father and our creator, our ruler and our hope, our\nwealth and our honour, our home, our country, our salvation, and our\nlife; hear, hear us, O Lord. Few of Thy servants comprehend Thee, but at\nleast we love Thee\u2014yea, love Thee above all other things. We seek Thee,\nwe follow Thee, we are ready to serve Thee; under Thy power we desire to\nabide, for Thou art the Sovereign of all. We pray Thee to command us as\nThou wilt; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Alfred the Great\n\n\n For Forgiveness\n\nWe implore the mercy of Thy Majesty, that it may please Thee to give to\nus Thy servants, pardon of our sins, that we, being delivered from all\nthe bonds of the enemy, may cleave to Thy commandments with our whole\nheart, and evermore love Thee alone, with all our strength, and one day\nbe counted worthy to attain to the sight of Thy blessedness. Through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Old Rheims Manuscript\n\n\n\n\n TENTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n Benediction\n\nMay our Lord Jesus Christ be near us to defend us, within us to refresh\nus, around us to preserve us, before us to guide us, behind us to\njustify us, above us to bless us, who liveth and reigneth with the\nFather and the Holy Ghost, God for evermore. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anonymous\n\n\n For a Birthday\n\nWe beseech Thee, Lord, open Thy heavens; from thence may Thy gifts\ndescend to _him_. Put forth Thine own hand from heaven and touch _his_\nhead. May _he_ feel the touch of Thy hand, and receive the joy of the\nHoly Spirit, that _he_ may remain blessed for evermore. Amen.\n\n \u2014Ethelwold of York\n\n\n Confession and Prayer for Forgiveness\n\nO _Lord_, O King, resplendent on the citadel of heaven, all hail\ncontinually; and of Thy clemency upon Thy people still do Thou _have\nmercy_.\n\n_Lord_, Whom the hosts of cherubim in songs and hymns with praise\ncontinually proclaim, do Thou _upon_ us eternally _have mercy_.\n\nThe armies aloft, O _Lord_, do sing high praise to Thee, even they to\nwhom the seraphim reply, \u201cdo Thou _have mercy_.\u201d\n\nO _Christ_, enthroned as King above, whom the nine orders of angels in\ntheir beauty praise without ceasing, deign Thou _upon us_, Thy servants,\never to _have mercy_.\n\nO _Christ_, whom Thy one only Church throughout the world doth hymn, O\nThou to whom the sun, the moon, and stars, the land and sea, do service\never, do Thou _have mercy_.\n\nO _Christ_, those holy ones, the heirs of the eternal country, one and\nall with utter joy proclaim Thee in a most worthy strain: do Thou _have\nmercy upon us_.\n\nO _Lord_, O gentle Son of Mary free, O King of Kings, blessed Redeemer,\nupon those who have been ransomed from the power of death, by Thine own\nblood, ever _have mercy_.\n\nO noblest unbegotten, yet begotten Son, having no beginning of age, yet\nwithout effort (in the weakness of God) excelling all things, upon this\nThy congregation in Thy pity, _Lord have mercy_.\n\nO Sun of Righteousness, in all unclouded glory, supreme dispenser of\njustice, in that great day when Thou shalt strictly judge all nations,\nwe earnestly beseech Thee, upon This Thy people, who here stand before\nThy presence, in Thy pity, _Lord, then have mercy upon us_. Amen.\n\n \u2014Dunstan of Canterbury\n\n\n Dying Words\n\nGlory be to Thee, Almighty Father, who hast given to them that fear Thee\nthe heavenly bread of life, that we may be mindful of the marvels which\nThou hast wrought upon the earth, by sending us Thy only begotten Son,\nvery man, born of a pure virgin. We give thanks, as is most justly due,\nto Thee, O Holy Father, who didst create us ere yet we were, and whilst\nwe were yet sinners didst make us partakers of Thy heavenly grace,\nthrough the same Thy Son, our Lord and God, who with Thee and the Holy\nGhost maketh, ordereth, and ruleth all things for ever and ever, world\nwithout end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Dunstan of Canterbury\n\n\n\n\n ELEVENTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n For Pardon, Grace, and Guidance\n\nO Thou plenteous source of every good and perfect gift, shed abroad the\ncheering light of Thy sevenfold grace over our hearts. Yea, Spirit of\nlove and gentleness, we most humbly implore Thy assistance. Thou knowest\nour faults, our failings, our necessities, the dulness of our\nunderstanding, the waywardness of our affections, the perverseness of\nour will. When, therefore, we neglect to practise what we know, visit\nus, we beseech Thee, with Thy grace, enlighten our minds, rectify our\ndesires, correct our wanderings, and pardon our omissions, so that by\nThy guidance we may be preserved from making shipwreck of faith, and\nkeep a good conscience, and may at length be landed safe in the haven of\neternal rest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For the Afflicted and Distressed\n\nWe bring before Thee, O Lord, the troubles and perils of people and\nnations, the sighing of prisoners and captives, the sorrows of the\nbereaved, the necessities of strangers, the helplessness of the weak,\nthe despondency of the weary, the failing powers of the aged. O Lord,\ndraw near to each; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Blessedness\n\nO God, Thou art life, wisdom, truth, bounty, and blessedness, the\nEternal, the only true Good! My God and my Lord, Thou art my hope and my\nheart\u2019s joy. I confess, with thanksgiving, that Thou hast made me in\nThine image, that I may direct all my thoughts to Thee, and love Thee.\nLord, make me to know Thee aright, that I may more and more love, and\nenjoy, and possess Thee. And since, in the life here below, I cannot\nfully attain this blessedness, let it at least grow in me day by day,\nuntil it all be fulfilled at last in the life to come. Here be the\nknowledge of Thee increased, and there let it be perfected. Here let my\nlove to Thee grow, and there let it ripen; that my joy being here great\nin hope, may there in fruition be made perfect. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Our Friends\n\nO fountain of love, love Thou our friends and teach them to love Thee\nwith all their hearts, that they may think and speak and do only such\nthings as are well-pleasing to Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.\nAmen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Heavenly-Mindedness\n\nO merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray Thee, with the graces of Thy\nHoly Spirit, with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,\ngoodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Teach us to love those who hate\nus, to pray for those who despitefully use us, that we may be the\nchildren of Thee our Father, who makest Thy sun to shine on the evil and\non the good, and sendest rain on the just and on the unjust. In\nadversity grant us grace to be patient; in prosperity keep us humble;\nmay we guard the door of our lips; may we lightly esteem the pleasures\nof this world, and thirst after heavenly things; through Jesus Christ\nour Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For the Presence of the Holy Spirit\n\nO holy Paraclete, sweetest consolation of the sorrowful, gracious Spirit\ncome down at this time with Thy mighty power into the depths of our\nhearts. Gladden there with Thy brightness every dark retreat, and enrich\nall with the dew of Thine abundant comfort. Kindle our inward parts with\nholy favour, that the incense of our prayers and praises may ever go up\nto Thee, O our God; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Zeal\n\nO almighty and merciful Father, who pourest Thy benefits upon us,\nforgive the unthankfulness with which we have requited Thy goodness. We\nhave remained before Thee with dead and senseless hearts, unkindled with\nlove of Thy gentle and enduring goodness. Turn Thou us, O merciful\nFather, and so shall we be turned. Make us with our whole heart to\nhunger and thirst after Thee, and with all our longing to desire Thee.\nMake us with our whole heart to serve Thee alone and with all our zeal\nto seek those things which are well-pleasing in Thy sight; for the sake\nof Thine only begotten Son, to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all\nhonour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Union with God\n\nO Lord our God, grant us grace to desire Thee with our whole heart, that\nso desiring, we may seek and find Thee; and so finding Thee we may love\nThee; and loving Thee we may hate those sins from which Thou hast\nredeemed us; for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Holy Week\n\nO Father, most merciful, who in the beginning didst create us, and by\nthe passion of Thine only begotten Son hast created us anew, work in us\nnow, we beseech Thee, both to will and to do of Thy good pleasure. And\nforasmuch as we are weak, and can do no good thing of ourselves, grant\nus Thy grace and heavenly benediction, that in whatsoever work we engage\nwe may do all to Thy honour and glory; and that, being kept from sin and\ndaily increasing in good works, so long as we live in the body we may\never show forth some service to Thee; and after our departure may\nreceive pardon of all our sins, and attain eternal life; through Him\nwho, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth for ever and\never. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Perfection\n\nO Lord Jesus Christ, our redemption and our salvation, we praise Thee\nand give Thee thanks; and though we be unworthy of Thy benefits, and\ncannot offer unto Thee due devotion, yet let Thy loving-kindness fill up\nthat which our weakness endeavoureth. Before Thee, O Lord, is all our\ndesire, and whatsoever our heart rightly willeth, it is of Thy gift.\nGrant that we may attain to love Thee even as Thou commandest. Let not\nThy gift be unfruitful in us. Perfect that Thou hast begun, give that\nwhich Thou hast made us to long after, convert Thou our lukewarmness\ninto fervent love of Thee; for the glory of Thy holy name. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Absent Friends\n\nO blessed Lord and Saviour, who hast commanded us to love one another,\ngrant us grace that, having received Thine undeserved bounty, we may\nlove every man in Thee and for Thee. We beseech Thy blessing for all;\nbut especially for the friends whom Thy love hast given to us. Love Thou\nthem, O Thou fountain of love, and make them to love Thee with all their\nheart, with all their mind, and with all their soul, that those things\nonly which are pleasing to Thee they may will, and speak, and do. And\nthough our prayer is cold, because our charity is so little fervent, yet\nThou art rich in mercy. Measure not to them Thy goodness by the dulness\nof our devotion; but as Thy kindness surpasseth all human affection, so\nlet Thy hearing transcend our prayer. Do Thou to them what is expedient\nfor them, according to Thy will, that they, being always and everywhere\nruled and protected by Thee, may attain in the end to everlasting life;\nand to Thee, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and\npraise for ever and ever. Amen.\n\n \u2014Anselm\n\n\n For Strength and Power\n\nMost merciful God, the helper of all men, so strengthen us by Thy power\nthat our sorrow may be turned into joy, and we may continually glorify\nThy holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Enlightenment\n\nWe beseech Thee, O Lord, let our hearts be graciously enlightened by Thy\nholy radiance, that we may serve Thee without fear in holiness and\nrighteousness all the days of our life; that so we may escape the\ndarkness of this world, and by Thy guidance attain the land of eternal\nbrightness; through Thy mercy, O blessed Lord, who dost live and govern\nall things, world without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n In Time of Trouble\n\nO God, who tellest the number of the stars, and callest them all by\ntheir names: heal, we beseech Thee, the contrite in heart, and gather\ntogether the outcasts, and enrich us with the fulness of Thy wisdom;\nthrough Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Whitsunday (Pentecost)\n\nO God, who purifiest the heart of man from sin, and makest it more white\nthan snow, pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy; renew, we\nbeseech Thee, Thy Holy Spirit within us, that we may show forth Thy\npraise, and, strengthened by Thy grace, may obtain rest in the eternal\nmansions of the heavenly Jerusalem; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Holy Week\n\nO Lord, who dost wash out our offences, do Thou comfort us who\nfaithfully call upon Thee; and, we beseech Thee, that Thou wouldest blot\nout our transgressions, and restore us from death to the land of the\nliving; through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Spiritual Gladness\n\nHear us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, and in our tribulations pity us, grant\nunto us spiritual gladness, and give us everlasting peace; through Jesus\nChrist our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Acceptable Service\n\nO glorious and almighty God, in whom all the spirits of the blessed\nplace the confidence of their hope; grant to us that, by Thy help, we\nmay be able ever to serve Thee with a pure mind; through Jesus Christ\nour Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Light\n\nBestow Thy light upon us, O Lord, so that, being rid of the darkness of\nour hearts, we may attain unto the true Light; through Jesus Christ, who\nis the Light of the World. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Grace and Deliverance\n\nFeed Thy people, O Lord, with Thy grace, and deliver our souls from the\ndeath of sin; so that, being filled with Thy mercy, we may be united\nwith the joys of the righteous; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For the Spread of Christ\u2019s Kingdom\n\nAlmighty God and heavenly Father, who of Thine infinite love and\ngoodness towards us, hast given to us Thy only and most dearly beloved\nSon, Jesus Christ, to be our redeemer and the author of everlasting\nlife, who, after He made perfect our redemption, by His death and was\nascended into heaven, sent abroad into the world His apostles, prophets,\nevangelists, doctors, and pastors; by whose labour and ministry He\ngathered together a great flock from all parts of the world, to set\nforth the eternal praise of Thy holy name: for these so great benefits\nof Thy eternal goodness we render unto Thee most hearty thanks. We\npraise and worship Thee, and we humbly beseech Thee, by the same Thy\nblessed Son, to grant unto all which here or elsewhere, call upon Thy\nholy name, that we may continue to show ourselves thankful unto Thee for\nthese and all other Thy benefits, and that we may daily increase and go\nforward in the knowledge and faith of Thee and Thy Son by the Holy\nSpirit, so that Thy holy name may be for ever glorified, and Thy blessed\nKingdom enlarged; through the same Thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who\nliveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit,\nworld without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Deliverance from Sin\n\nO Lord, vouchsafe to look mercifully upon us, and grant that we may\nchoose the way of peace; so that, rescued from the captivity of the sins\nwhich have oppressed us, we may attain the dwellings of the heavenly\nJerusalem; through Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Brotherly Kindness\n\nPour upon us, O Lord, the spirit of brotherly kindness and peace; so\nthat, sprinkled with the dew of Thy benediction, we may be made glad by\nThy glory and grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Health\n\nO God, who through the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, dost pour the gift of\nlove into the hearts of Thy faithful people, grant unto us health, both\nof mind and body, that we may love Thee with our whole strength, and\nwith entire satisfaction may perform those things which are pleasing\nunto Thee this day; through Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Grace to Walk in Holiness\n\nO God of strength, passing all understanding, who mercifully givest to\nThy people mercy and judgment; grant to us, we beseech Thee, faithfully\nto love Thee, and to walk this day in the way of righteousness; through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n A Prayer for Today\n\nIn this hour of this day, fill us, O Lord, with Thy mercy, that\nrejoicing throughout the whole day, we may take delight in Thy praise;\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n Supplication\n\nAlmighty God, we invoke Thee, the fountain of everlasting light, and\nentreat Thee to send forth Thy truth into our hearts, and to pour upon\nus the glory of Thy brightness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Sarum Breviary\n\n\n For Divine Control\n\nO Lord God, King of heaven and earth, may it please Thee this day to\norder and to hallow, to rule and to govern, our hearts and our bodies,\nour thoughts, our works, and our words, according to Thy commandments,\nthat we, being helped by Thee, may here and for ever be delivered and\nsaved; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For a Knowledge of God\u2019s Will\n\nMost gracious God, to know and love whose will is righteousness,\nenlighten our souls with the brightness of Thy presence, that we may\nboth know Thy will and be enabled to perform it; through Jesus Christ\nour Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For Increased Love Toward God\n\nO Lord, we beseech Thee that Thy people may grow ever in love toward\nThee, their Father, who art in heaven, and may so be schooled by holy\nworks, that ever, as Thou dost pour Thy gifts upon them, they may walk\nbefore Thee in all such things as be well-pleasing in the sight of Thy\nDivine Majesty; for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For Peace\n\nO God, the consolation of all such as be sorrowful, and the salvation of\nthem that put their trust in Thee, grant unto us, in this dying life,\nthat peace for which we humbly pray, and hereafter to attain unto\neverlasting joy in Thy presence; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For Defense from Evil\n\nGrant unto us, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that we, who seek the\nshelter of Thy protection, being defended from all evils, may serve Thee\nin peace and quietness of spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For Assistance in Temptation\n\nAlmighty and merciful God, who dost grant unto Thy faithful people the\ngrace to make every path of life temporal, the strait and narrow way\nwhich leadeth unto life eternal, grant that we, who know that we have no\nstrength as of ourselves to help ourselves, and therefore do put all our\ntrust in Thine almighty power, may, by the assistance of Thy heavenly\ngrace, always prevail in all things, against whatsoever shall arise to\nfight against us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For Protection\n\nO God, the Shepherd of all Thy people, deliver the same from all sins\nwhich do assail them, that so they may ever be pleasing in Thy sight,\nand safe under Thy shelter; for Christ\u2019s sake. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For Loyal Service\n\nAlmighty and everlasting God, grant that our wills be ever meekly\nsubject to Thy will, and our hearts be ever honestly ready to serve\nThee; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For Purified Lives\n\nO God, mercifully grant unto us that the fire of Thy love may burn up in\nus all things that displease Thee, and make us meet for Thy heavenly\nKingdom; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For Strength\n\nBe Thou Thyself, O Lord, the Sanctifier and the Shepherd of Thy people,\nthat we, who are strengthened by Thy help, may in our daily life walk\nwith Thee, and in all quietness of spirit serve Thee; through Jesus\nChrist our Master. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n For the Prisoner\n\nO God, let the sighing of the prisoner come before Thee, and mercifully\ngrant unto us that we may be delivered by Thine almighty power from all\nbonds and chains of sin, whether in our bodies or in our souls, through\nJesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Roman Breviary\n\n\n\n\n TWELFTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n Need for Heavenly Refreshment\n\n[O God,] my heart is a vain heart, a vagabond and instable heart; while\nit is led by its own judgment, and wanting divine counsel, cannot\nsubsist in itself; and whilst it divers ways seekest not, findeth none,\nbut remaineth miserable through labor, and void of peace: it agreeth not\nwith itself, it dissenteth from itself, it altereth resolutions,\nchangeth the judgment, frameth new thoughts, pulleth down the old, and\nbuildeth them up again: it willeth and willeth not; and never remaineth\nin the same state.\n\nCome, Holy Spirit, and bring from heaven a ray of Thy light! Come, Thou\nfather of the poor, Thou giver of gifts, Thou light of the world, the\nblessed Comforter, the dear guest of the soul, and its sweetest\nrefreshment; Thou, our repose in labor, our coolness in heat, our\ncomfort in affliction! O, most blessed Spirit, fill full the hearts of\nThy faithful people! Without Thy influence there is nothing in man which\nis not weakness and guilt. O, cleanse that which is sordid; bedew that\nwhich is dried up; heal that which is wounded; bend that which is\nstubborn, cherish in Thy bosom that which is cold; guide that which is\nwandering; and grant unto Thy servants, putting their trust in Thee, the\nmerit of Thy righteousness; grant them final salvation; grant them\neverlasting joy! O Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come unto\nThee. Amen.\n\n \u2014Bernard of Clairvaux\n\n\n Delight in Christ\n\n Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts!\n Thou fount of life! Thou light of men!\n From the best bliss that earth imparts,\n We turn unfilled to Thee again.\n\n Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood;\n Thou savest those that on Thee call;\n To them that seek Thee, Thou art good,\n To them that find Thee\u2014All in All!\n\n We taste Thee, O Thou living bread,\n And long to feast upon Thee still;\n We drink of Thee, the fountain head,\n And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.\n\n Our restless spirits yearn for Thee,\n Where\u2019er our changeful lot is cast;\n Glad, when Thy gracious smile we see,\n Blest, when our faith can hold Thee fast.\n\n O Jesus, ever with us stay!\n Make all our moments calm and bright\n Chase the dark night of sin away\u2014\n Shed o\u2019er the world Thy holy light!\n\n Amen.\n\n \u2014Ascribed to Bernard of Clairvaux\n\n\n For Grace\n\nO Lord Jesus, grant us Thy grace and give unto us time for repentance.\nWe would keep Thy commandments and do Thy bidding, choose the better\npart and no longer follow after evil; grant us Thy strength that this\nmay so be, O loving Saviour for Thine own name\u2019s sake. Amen.\n\n \u2014Dan Jeremy\n\n\n\n\n THIRTEENTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace\n\n Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;\n Where hate rules, let me bring love,\n Where malice, forgiveness,\n Where disputes, reconciliation,\n Where error, truth,\n Where doubt, belief,\n Where despair, hope,\n Where darkness, Thy light,\n Where sorrow, joy!\n\n O Master, let me strive more to comfort others than to be comforted,\n To understand others than to be understood,\n To love others, more than to be loved!\n\n For he who gives, receives,\n He who forgets himself, finds,\n He who forgives, receives forgiveness,\n And dying, we rise again to eternal life. Amen.\n\n \u2014Francis of Assisi\n\n\n The Daily Prayer of St. Francis\n\nMy God, and my all, who art Thou, sweetest Lord, my God? And who am I, a\npoor worm, Thy servant? Holiest Lord, I would love Thee! Sweetest Lord,\nI would love Thee! Lord, my God, I give to Thee all my heart and body,\nand vehemently desire, if I might know how, to do more for Thy love.\nAmen.\n\n \u2014Francis of Assisi\n\n\n Praise\n\nNow to that God, who has suffered so much for us, who at one giving has\nconferred on us so many good things, and will yet confer so many more,\nto this God let every creature who is in heaven or upon the earth, in\nthe sea or in the depth of the abyss, render praise, glory, honour and\nblessing. He is himself our virtue and our strength. He alone is good,\nlofty, almighty, admirable, and glorious; the only holy, worthy of\npraise and blessed through ages of ages. Amen.\n\n \u2014Francis of Assisi\n\n\n For the Knowledge of God\u2019s Will\n\nGod, almighty, eternal, righteous, and merciful, give to us poor sinners\nto do for Thy sake all that we know of Thy will, and to will always what\npleases Thee, so that inwardly purified, enlightened, and kindled by the\nfire of the Holy Spirit, we may follow in the footprints of Thy\nwell-beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.\n\n \u2014Francis of Assisi\n\n\n Thanksgiving\n\nAlmighty, most holy, most high and supreme God, holy and just Father,\nLord, king of heaven and earth, for Thyself we give thanks to Thee\nbecause by Thy holy will, and by Thine only Son, Thou hast created all\nthings spiritual and corporal in the Holy Ghost and didst place us made\nto Thine image and likeness in paradise, whence we fell by our own\nfault. And we give Thee thanks because, as by Thy Son Thou didst create\nus, so by the true and holy love with which Thou hast loved us, Thou\ndidst cause Him, true God and true man, to be born.... And we give\nthanks to Thee because Thy Son Himself is to come again in the glory of\nHis Majesty ... to say to all who have known Thee and adored Thee, and\nserved Thee in repentance: \u201cCome, ye blessed of my Father, possess the\nKingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.\u201d And since all\nwe wretches and sinners are not worthy to name Thee, we humbly beseech\nThee, that our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, in whom Thou art well\npleased, together with the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, may give thanks to\nThee as it is pleasing to Thee and Them, for all. Amen.\n\n \u2014Francis of Assisi\n\n\n Praise and Guidance\n\nAlmighty, most holy, most high, and supreme God, highest good, all good,\nwholly good, who alone art good, to Thee we render all praise, all\nglory, all thanks, all honor, all blessing, and we shall always refer\nall good to Thee.\n\nAlmighty, eternal, just, and merciful God, give to us wretches to do for\nThee what we know Thee to will and to will always that which is pleasing\nto Thee; so that inwardly purified, inwardly illumined and kindled by\nthe flame of the Holy Ghost, we may be able to follow in the footsteps\nof Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and by Thy grace alone come to Thee\nthe Most High, who in perfect Trinity and simple unity livest and\nreignest and gloriest God Almighty for ever and ever. Amen.\n\n \u2014Francis of Assisi\n\n\n For the Brothers\n\nLord Jesus, Thou didst choose Thine apostles to the number of twelve,\nand if one of them did betray Thee, the others, remaining united to\nThee, preached Thy holy Gospel, filled with one and the same\ninspiration; and behold now, remembering the former days, Thou hast\nraised up the Religion of the Brothers in order to uphold faith, and\nthat by them the mystery of Thy Gospel may be accomplished. Who will\ntake their place if, instead of fulfilling their mission and being\nshining examples for all, they are seen to give themselves up to the\nworks of darkness? Amen.\n\n \u2014Francis of Assisi\n\n\n For Thy Love\n\nI beseech Thee, O Lord, that the fiery and sweet strength of Thy love\nmay absorb my soul from all things that are under heaven, that I may die\nfor love of Thy love as Thou didst deign to die for the love of my love.\nAmen.\n\n \u2014Francis of Assisi\n\n\n Thanksgiving\n\nThanks be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which Thou\nhast given us; for all the pains and insults which Thou hast borne for\nus. O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, may we know Thee more\nclearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly; for Thine\nown sake. Amen.\n\n \u2014Richard of Chichester\n\n\n Daily Prayer\n\nGrant me, I beseech Thee, O merciful God, prudently to study, rightly to\nunderstand, and perfectly to fulfill that which is pleasing to Thee, to\nthe praise and glory of Thy name.\n\nThou, O Christ, art the King of glory; Thou art the everlasting Son of\nthe Father. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas Aquinas\n\n\n For Steadfastness\n\nGrant me, I beseech Thee, almighty and most merciful God, fervently to\ndesire, wisely to search out, and perfectly to fulfill, all that is\nwell-pleasing unto Thee. Order Thou my worldly condition to the glory of\nThy name; and, of all that Thou requirest me to do, grant me the\nknowledge, the desire, and the ability, that I may so fulfill it as I\nought, and may my path to Thee, I pray, be safe, straightforward, and\nperfect to the end.\n\nGive me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag\ndownwards; give me an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear\nout; give me an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt\naside.\n\nBestow upon me also, O Lord my God, understanding to know Thee,\ndiligence to seek Thee, wisdom to find Thee, and a faithfulness that may\nfinally embrace Thee. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas Aquinas\n\n\n For Love of Jesus\n\nAh! sweet Jesus, pierce the marrow of my soul with the healthful shafts\nof Thy love, that it may truly burn, and melt, and languish, with the\nonly desire of Thee; that it may desire to be dissolved, and to be with\nThee; let it hunger alone for the bread of life: let it thirst after\nThee, the spring and fountain of eternal light, the stream of true\npleasure; let it always desire Thee, seek Thee, and find Thee, and\nsweetly rest in Thee. Amen.\n\n \u2014Bonaventura\n\n\n For Pardon, Purity, and Grace\n\nO Holy God, in whom is all goodness, whose pity and mercy made Thee to\ndescend from the high throne down into this world, the valley of woe and\nweeping, and here to take our nature, and in that nature to suffer pain\nand death, to bring our souls to Thy Kingdom. Merciful Lord, forgive us\nall our sins that we have done, thought, and said. O glorious Trinity,\nsend us cleanness of heart and purity of soul; restore us with Thy Holy\nSpirit, and strengthen us with Thy might, that we may always withstand\nevil temptations. Comfort us with Thy Holy Ghost, and fulfill us with\ngrace and charity, that we may henceforth live virtuously and love Thee\nwith all our heart, with all our might, and with all our soul, so that\nwe may never offend Thee, but ever follow Thy pleasure in will, word,\nthought, and deed. Now grant us this, good Lord, that art infinite,\nwhich eternally shall endure; through Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen.\n\n \u2014Richard Rolle\n\n\n\n\n FOURTEENTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n Times of Anxiety\n\nMay Jesus Christ, the King of glory, help us to make the right use of\nall the suffering that God sends, and to offer to Him the true incense\nof our hearts; for His name\u2019s sake. Amen.\n\n \u2014Johannes Tauler\n\n\n For Love of God\n\nGrant, most gracious God, that we may love and seek Thee always and\neverywhere, above all things and for Thy sake, in the life present, and\nmay at length find Thee and for ever hold Thee fast in the life to come.\nGrant this for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas Bradwardine\n\n\n A Memorial of the Resurrection\n\nO Lord Jesus Christ, by Thy glorious resurrection, in which Thou didst\nappear alive and immortal to Thy disciples and faithful followers, by\nThy forty days\u2019 abiding and sweet converse, in which by many infallible\nproofs, speaking of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, Thou didst\ncomfort them and assure them of Thine actual resurrection, removing all\ndoubt from their hearts. We beseech Thee, O Lord, grant that we may be\nnumbered among those who were fore-ordained by God to be witnesses of\nThy resurrection, not only by word of mouth, but in reality of good\nworks; for Thine honour and glory, who with the Father and the Holy\nGhost livest and reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Ludolphus of Saxony\n\n\n For Heavenly-Mindedness\n\nO most blessed Lord, deign to help us, and of Thy great mercy abolish\nour sins; detach our minds from earthly things, and raise them to the\nlove of heavenly riches. Most merciful God, who dost favour all true\nlove, do Thou so aid and direct us that we may love Thee above all\nthings, and recognizing Thine infinite benefits, may keep them in\nmemory, and give Thee everlasting thanks for them. Finally, grant that\nours may be the blessed life which shall enjoy Thy love for ever;\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Raymond Jordanus\n\n\n Self-Renunciation\n\nIf a man may attain thereunto, to be unto God as his hand is unto man,\nlet him be therewith content, and not seek further....\n\nThat we may thus deny ourselves, and forsake and renounce all things for\nGod\u2019s sake, and give up our own wills, and die unto ourselves, and live\nunto God alone and to his will, may He help us who gave up His will to\nHis heavenly Father,\u2014Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be blessing for ever\nand ever. Amen.\n\n \u2014Theologia Germanica\n\n\n The God We Love\n\nNow, he who will hold to God, loves all things in the One which is One\nand All; and the One in All, because All is in the One; and he who loves\nsomewhat, this or that, otherwise than in the One, and for the sake of\nthe One, loves not God; for he loves somewhat which is not God,\ntherefore he loves it more than God. But he who loves somewhat more than\nGod, or equally with God, loves not God; for God must be and will be\nalone loved, and in truth nothing ought to be loved but God alone. And\nwhen the True Light and the True divine Love dwell in a man, he loves\nnothing else but God alone. For he loves God as the Good, and for the\nsake of the Good, and all Goods as One, and One as All. For, verily, All\nis One and One is All in God. Amen.\n\n \u2014Theologia Germanica\n\n\n\n\n FIFTEENTH CENTURY PRAYERS\n\n\n The Quiet Hour\n\nLord, I offer unto Thee all my sins and offences, which I have committed\nbefore Thee, from the day wherein I first could sin even to this hour;\nthat Thou mayest consume and burn them, one and all, with the fire of\nThy love, and do away all the stains of my sins, and cleanse my\nconscience from all offences, and restore to me Thy grace, fully\nforgiving me all, and admitting me mercifully to the kiss of peace. I\noffer up also unto Thee all that is good in me, though it be very small\nand imperfect, in order that Thou mayest amend and sanctify it, that\nThou mayest make it grateful and acceptable unto Thee, and always be\nperfecting it more and more; and bring me also, slothful and\nunprofitable poor creature as I am, to a good and blessed end. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis[2]\n\n\n For Faithful and Prepared Lives\n\nWho can tell what a day may bring forth? Cause us, therefore, gracious\nGod, to live every day as if it were to be our last, for that we know\nnot but it may be such. Cause us to live so at present as we shall wish\nwe had done when we come to die. O grant that we may not die with any\nguilt upon our consciences, or any known sin unrepented of, but that we\nmay be found in Christ, who is our only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n Let Thy Will Be Mine\n\nO most merciful Lord, grant to me Thy grace, that it may be with me, and\nlabor with me, and persevere with me even to the end. Grant that I may\nalways desire and will that which is to Thee most acceptable, and most\ndear. Let Thy will be mine, and my will ever follow Thine, and agree\nperfectly with it. Grant to me, above all things that can be desired, to\nrest in Thee, and in Thee to have my heart at peace. Thou art the true\npeace of the heart, Thou its only rest; out of Thee all things are hard\nand restless. In this very peace, that is, in Thee, the one Chiefest\nEternal Good, I will sleep and rest. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n Praise\n\nI will say unto my God, my Lord, and my King, \u201cO how great is the\nabundance of Thy goodness, O Lord, which Thou hast laid up for them that\nfear Thee.\u201d But what art Thou to those who love Thee? What to those who\nserve Thee with their whole heart? In this especially Thou hast showed\nme the sweetness of Thy love; that, when I was not, Thou madest me, when\nI went far astray from Thee, Thou broughtest me back again, that I might\nserve Thee, and hast commanded me to love Thee. I would I were able, at\nleast for one day, to do Thee some worthy service. Truly, Thou art my\nLord, and I Thy servant, who am bound to serve Thee with all my might;\nand this I wish to do, this I desire; and whatsoever is wanting unto me,\ndo Thou, I beseech Thee, vouchsafe to supply. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n Thy Will Be Done\n\nO Lord, Thou knowest what is best for us, let this or that be done, as\nThou shalt please. Give what Thou wilt, and how much Thou wilt, and when\nThou wilt. Deal with me as Thou thinkest good, and as best pleaseth\nThee. Set me where Thou wilt, and deal with me in all things just as\nThou wilt. Behold, I am Thy servant, prepared for all things; for I\ndesire not to live unto myself, but unto Thee; and Oh, that I could do\nit worthily and perfectly! Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n My Hope and Refuge\n\nAh, Lord God, Thou holy Lover of my soul, when Thou comest into my soul,\nall that is within me shall rejoice. Thou art my Glory and the\nexultation of my heart; Thou art my hope and refuge in the day of my\ntrouble. Set me free from all evil passions, and heal my heart of all\ninordinate affections; that, being inwardly cured and thoroughly\ncleansed, I may be made fit to love, courageous to suffer, steady to\npersevere. Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing more courageous,\nnothing fuller nor better in heaven and earth; because love is born of\nGod, and cannot rest but in God, above all created things. Let me love\nThee more than myself, nor love myself but for Thee; and in Thee all\nthat truly love Thee, as the law of love commandeth, shining out from\nThyself. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For Others\n\nI offer up unto Thee my prayers and intercessions, for those especially\nwho have in any matter hurt, grieved, or found fault with me, or who\nhave done me any damage or displeasure.\n\nFor all those also whom, at any time, I may have vexed, troubled,\nburdened, and scandalized, by words or deeds, knowingly or in ignorance;\nthat Thou wouldst grant us all equally pardon for our offences against\neach other.\n\nTake away from our hearts, O Lord, all suspiciousness, indignation,\nwrath, and contention, and whatsoever may hurt charity, and lessen\nbrotherly love.\n\nHave mercy, O Lord, have mercy on those that crave Thy mercy, give grace\nunto them that stand in need thereof, and make us such as that we may be\nworthy to enjoy Thy grace, and go forward to life eternal. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n To Do Thy Will\n\nO Lord, my God, Thou art to me whatsoever is good. Remember me because I\nam nothing, I have nothing, and I can do nothing. Thou alone art good,\njust, and holy; Thou canst do all things, Thou accomplishest all things,\nThou fillest all things. Remember Thy mercies, and fill my heart with\nThy grace, Thou who wilt not that Thy works should be void and in vain.\nTurn not Thy face away from me; withdraw not Thy consolation, lest my\nsoul become as a thirsty land to Thee. Teach me, O Lord, to do Thy will;\nteach me to live worthily and humbly in Thy sight. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n My Salvation and My Redemption\n\nIn confidence of Thy goodness and great mercy, O Lord, I draw near unto\nThee, as a sick person to the healer, as one hungry and thirsty to the\nfountain of life, a creature to the creator, a desolate soul to my own\ntender comforter. Behold, in Thee is all whatsoever I can or ought to\ndesire; Thou art my salvation and my redemption, my hope and my\nstrength. Rejoice therefore this day the soul of Thy servant; for unto\nThee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For the Holy Spirit\n\nStrengthen me, O God, by the grace of Thy Holy Spirit. Grant me to be\nstrengthened with might in the inner man, and to empty my heart of all\nuseless care and anguish. O Lord, grant me heavenly wisdom, that I may\nlearn above all things to seek and to find Thee, above all things to\nrelish and to love Thee, and to think of all other things as being, what\nindeed they are, at the disposal of Thy wisdom. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For Thee, O Lord\n\nLord, what is my confidence which I have in this life? Is it not Thou, O\nLord, my God, whose mercies are without number? Where hath it ever been\nwell with me without Thee, or where could it be ill with me, when Thou\nwert present? I rather choose to be a pilgrim on earth, than without\nThee to possess heaven. Where Thou art, there is heaven; and where Thou\nart not, there is death and hell. There is none that can help me in my\nnecessities, but only Thou, my God; Thou art my hope, Thou my\nconfidence. Although Thou exposest me to divers temptations and\nadversities, yet Thou orderest all this to my advantage; in which trial\nof me Thou oughtest no less to be loved and praised, than if Thou didst\nfill me full of heavenly consolations. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For Consolation\n\nO Thou most sweet and loving Lord, Thou knowest mine infirmities, and\nthe necessities which I endure; in how great evils and sins I am\ninvolved; how often I am weighed down, tempted, and disturbed by them. I\nentreat of Thee consolation and support. I speak to Thee who knowest all\nthings, to whom all my inward thoughts are open, and who alone canst\nperfectly comfort and help me. Thou knowest what things I stand in most\nneed of. Behold, I stand before Thee poor and naked, calling for grace,\nand imploring mercy. Refresh Thy hungry supplicant, kindle my coldness\nwith the fire of Thy love, enlighten my blindness with the brightness of\nThy presence. Suffer me not to go away from Thee hungry and dry, but\ndeal mercifully with me, as often times Thou hast dealt wonderfully with\nThy saints. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For Trust in Thee\n\nO Lord my God, be not Thou far from me; my God, have regard to help me;\nfor there have risen up against me sundry thoughts, and great fears,\nafflicting my soul. How shall I pass through unhurt? How shall I break\nthem to pieces? This is my hope, my one only consolation, to flee unto\nThee in every tribulation, to trust in Thee, to call upon Thee from my\ninmost heart, and to wait patiently for Thy consolation. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For the Comforter\n\nWrite Thy blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so\nindelibly engraven, that no prosperity, no adversity shall ever move me\nfrom Thy love. Be Thou to me a strong tower of defence, a comforter in\ntribulation, a deliverer in distress, a very present help in trouble,\nand a guide to heaven through the many temptations and dangers of this\nlife. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For Love of God and His Laws\n\nO most gracious God, from whom every good and perfect gift cometh, we\nbeseech Thee to work in us both to will and to do according to Thy good\npleasure. Enlighten our minds that we may know Thee, and let us not be\nunfruitful in that knowledge. Lord, work in our hearts a true faith, a\npurifying hope, and an unfeigned love towards Thee. Give us a full trust\nin Thee, zeal for Thee, reverence of all things that relate to Thee.\nMake us fearful to offend Thee, thankful for Thy mercies, humble under\nThy corrections, devout in Thy service, and sorrowful for our sins.\nGrant that in all things we may behave ourselves so as befits a creature\nto his Creator, a servant to his Lord. Make us diligent in all our\nduties, watchful against all temptations, pure and temperate and\nmoderate in Thy most lawful enjoyments, that they may never become a\nsnare to us. Help us, O Lord, to act towards our neighbour that we may\nnever transgress the royal law of Thine, of loving him as ourselves.\nFinally, we beseech Thee, O Lord, to sanctify us throughout, that our\nwhole spirit, soul, and body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming\nof our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all\nhonour and glory for ever. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For Consecration\n\nAlmighty God, who hast made all things for man, and man for Thy glory,\nsanctify our body and soul, our thoughts and our intentions, our words\nand actions, that whatsoever we shall think, or speak or do, may by us\nbe designed to the glorification of Thy name, and by Thy blessing, it\nmay be effectual and successful in the work of God, according as it can\nbe capable. Lord, turn necessities into virtues, the works of Nature\ninto the works of grace, by making them orderly, regular and temperate,\nsubordinate and profitable to ends beyond their own proper efficacy; and\nlet no pride or self-seeking, no impure motive, or unworthy purpose, no\nlittle ends, and low imagination stain our spirit, and unhallow any of\nour words and actions. But let our body be a servant to our spirit, and\nboth body and spirit servants of Jesus Christ, that doing all things for\nThy glory here, we may be partakers of Thy glory hereafter; through\nJesus Christ. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For Friends\n\nAlmighty, everlasting God, have mercy on Thy servants our friends. Keep\nthem continually under Thy protection, and direct them according to Thy\ngracious favour in the way of everlasting salvation; that they may\ndesire such things as please Thee, and with all their strength perform\nthe same. And forasmuch as they trust in Thy mercy, vouchsafe, O Lord,\ngraciously to assist them with Thy heavenly help, that they may ever\ndiligently serve Thee, and by no temptations be separated from Thee;\nthrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.\n\n \u2014Thomas \u00e0 Kempis\n\n\n For Thy Spirit\n\n The prayers I make will then be sweet indeed,\n If Thou the spirit give by which I pray;\n My unassisted heart is barren clay,\n That of its native self can nothing feed;\n Of good and pious works Thou art the seed\n That quickens only where Thou say\u2019st it may.\n Unless Thou show to us Thy own true way,\n No man can find it! Father! Thou must lead;\n Do Thou then breathe those thoughts into my mind\n By which such virtue may in me be bred\n That in Thy holy footsteps I may tread;\n The fetters of my tongue do Thou unbind,\n That I may have the power to sing to Thee,\n And sound Thy praises everlastingly! Amen.\n\n \u2014Michelangelo\n\n\n\n\n FOOTNOTES\n\n\n[1]Old Spanish liturgy, later named Mozarabic.\n\n[2]Gerhard Groot was the founder of the \u201cBrothers of the Common Life.\u201d\n Some scholars claim The Imitation of Christ, usually attributed to\n Thomas \u00e0 Kempis, was done by Groot and edited by Thomas \u00e0 Kempis.\n\n\n\n\n INDEX\n\n\n A\n Absent Friends, 51, 87\n Acceptable Service, 53\n Adoration, 39\n Afflicted, For the, 46, 48 (2)\n Against Temptation, 19\n Alcuin, 32, 33\n Alfred the Great, 39, 40\n Ancient Collects, 9, 12, 13, 14\n Anselm, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51\n Answer to Prayer, 18 (1), 25 (2)\n Anxiety, 74\n Aquinas, Thomas, 70, 71\n\n B\n Bede, Venerable, 32\n Belief, 66 (1)\n Bereaved, 48 (2)\n Benediction, 42, 55 (1), 67 (1)\n Bernard of Clairvaux, 62, 63\n Birthday, 42\n Blessings, 42 (1)\n Blessedness, 23 (1), 47, 75\n Bonds, 60 (2)\n Bonaventura, 71\n Bradwardine, Thomas, 74\n Brightness, 13, 19 (3), 52 (1), 56 (4), 57 (2), 84\n Brokenhearted, 12 (3)\n Brothers, For the, 69 (1)\n Brotherly Kindness, 55\n\n C\n Care, Loving, 12 (3)\n Charity, 23 (1), 81\n Christian Graces, 34 (2)\n Christmas, 19 (3), 23\n Church, 10, 23\n Cleansing, 9 (1), 11 (1), 12 (3), 17, 24 (2), 32, 62, 78 (1), 80\n (2)\n Clemency, 42 (3)\n Collect, 9, 12, 13, 14\n Columba, 14\n Comfort, 12 (3), 53 (1), 66 (1)\n Comforter, 25 (3), 62, 71, 85\n Commandments, 40, 57 (1), 64\n Companionship, 21\n Compassion, 12 (3)\n Confession, 20, 42, 62\n Consecration, 83 (2), 86\n Consolation, 82 (1), 84, 85 (1)\n Correction, 46\n Cross, 16 (1), 28 (1)\n\n D\n Daily Prayer, 20, 66, 70\n Daily Living, 78\n Darkness, 52 (1), 54 (1)\n Dedication, 18\n Defense from Evil, 58\n Delight in Christ, 63\n Deliverance, 11, 32 (3), 54, 55\n Devotion, 50\n Diligence, 70 (3)\n Direction, 24\n Distress, 46\n Dionysius, 38\n Divine Control, 57\n Dunstan of Canterbury, 42, 43, 44\n\n E\n Easter, 8 (2), 28\n Enemies, 48 (1)\n Enlightenment, 14, 46 (1), 52, 57 (2), 85 (3)\n Epiphany, 12, 19 (3)\n Erigena, John Scotus, 38\n Eternal Rest, 24 (3)\n Ethelwold of York, 42\n Evening, 13 (2), 21 (3), 27, 29\n Evil, From, 11 (1)\n Evil Thoughts, From, 9 (4)\n Example, A Good, 29 (2)\n\n F\n Faith, 21, 23 (1), 26 (2), 48 (1)\n Faithful and Prepared Lives, 78\n For Thee, O Lord, 83\n Forgiveness, 8, 11 (1), 17, 18 (1), 20 (1), 40, 42 (3), 46 (1), 49\n (1), 63, 78 (2)\n Footsteps, 88\n Francis of Assisi, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70\n Friends, 34, 47 (2), 51, 87\n Future Life, 74 (3), 75 (1)\n\n G\n Gallican Collect, 33\n Gallican Sacramentary, 33, 34, 35\n Gentleness, 48 (1)\n Giver of All Good Things, 23\n Gladness, 13 (1), 20 (2), 28 (2), 53\n Gloomy Thoughts, 13 (3)\n God We Love, 76\n God\u2019s Supremacy, 39\n God\u2019s Will, 57, 67\n Good Friday, 28\n Goodness, 48 (1), 79 (2)\n Good Will, 23 (2)\n Grace, 9, 26 (2), 32 (3), 46, 54, 56, 64, 68, 72, 82 (1), 84\n Gregory the Great, 8\n Gregorian Sacramentary, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12\n Guidance, 24 (3), 26, 39, 46, 62, 68\n Guilt, 16 (1), 16 (2), 78 (2)\n\n H\n Healing, 25 (1), 52 (2), 62\n Health, 11 (3), 56\n Heavenly Mindedness, 48, 75\n Heavenly Refreshment, 62\n Heavenly Wisdom, 83 (1)\n Help, 38 (2), 56 (2), 85 (2)\n Holy Week, 49, 53\n Holy Spirit, 25, 29 (1), 42 (2), 48, 52 (3), 54 (3), 56 (1), 67\n (2), 83, 85 (1), 88\n Hope, 13 (3), 23 (1), 66 (1), 80, 82 (2)\n Humility, 34 (2), 48 (1), 59 (2), 82 (1), 85 (3)\n\n I\n Ignorance, 32 (3)\n Illumination, 19, 29, 33, 52 (1)\n Indignation, 81\n Instrument of Thy Peace, 66\n Intercession, 81\n\n J\n Jeremy, Dan, 64\n Jordanus, Raymond, 75\n Journey, 34\n Joy, 21, 47 (1), 62, 66 (1)\n Justice, 34\n\n K\n Kempis, Thomas \u00e0, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87\n Kingdom, 54\n Knowledge, 32 (1), 47 (1), 67\n Knowledge of God\u2019s Will, 57, 67\n\n L\n Law, God\u2019s, 85\n Liberty, 33 (2)\n Life, 22 (3)\n Life in Thee, 24 (1)\n Light, 12 (1), 13, 14, 21 (2), 22, 29, 32 (3), 39 (2), 54, 66 (1)\n Litany, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 27\n Love, 11, 14, 19 (2, 3), 22, 39, 40, 46, 48 (1), 49 (2), 56 (1),\n 57, 66 (1, 2), 69 (2), 71, 80\n Love of God, 74, 85\n Love of Thee, 50\n Loving Care, 12\n Loving-kindness, 20 (1), 50\n Longsuffering, 48 (1)\n Loyal Service, 59\n Ludolphus of Saxony, 74, 75\n\n M\n Make Me an Instrument, 66\n Meekness, 48 (1)\n Mercy, 8 (3), 16 (1, 2), 17, 18 (1), 20 (2), 22 (2), 23 (2), 27\n (2), 32 (3), 35 (2), 39 (1), 40, 42 (3), 52 (1), 55 (1),\n 56 (2), 81, 82 (1), 84\n Michelangelo, 88\n Ministers, 33 (1)\n Morning, 9, 13, 20, 21 (3), 56 (2)\n Mozarabic Breviary, 16, 17, 18, 19\n Mozarabic Liturgy, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27\n Mozarabic Sacramentary, 27, 28, 29, 30\n\n N\n Nations, For, 26\n New Year, 25\n Night, 13 (2)\n\n O\n Old Rheims Manuscript, 40\n Orphan, For the, 17\n Others, 12 (3), 81\n\n P\n Pardon, 12, 18 (1), 19, 46, 71\n Passion, 16 (1, 2)\n Passion Week, 49\n Pastors, For, 10, 33 (1)\n Patience, 48 (1), 85 (1)\n Peace, 12 (2), 20 (2), 21 (3), 22, 28 (2), 33 (3), 48 (1), 53 (2),\n 55 (1), 58\n Penitent, 17\n Pentecost, 52\n Perfection, 11 (3), 35, 50, 78 (1)\n Perseverance, 26\n Personal Dedication, 18\n Petition, 32\n Pity, 53 (2)\n Power, 9 (2), 39 (2), 51\n Praise, 56 (3), 67, 68, 79\n Prisoner, 60\n Protection, 8 (3), 11, 26, 59\n Prudence, 34 (2)\n Purified Lives, 59\n Purity, 34 (2), 59, 71\n Purity of Heart, 52 (3)\n\n Q\n Quiet Hour, 78\n\n R\n Recognition of God, 23\n Reconciliation, 66 (1)\n Redemption, 82\n Refuge, 80\n Rejoicing, 56 (3)\n Release from Sins, 8 (1)\n Remission of Sins, 16 (1)\n Repentance, 18, 24, 63, 78 (1)\n Repose, 23 (3)\n Rest, 13, 79 (1)\n Resurrection, 28 (2), 74\n Reveal Thyself, 38 (2)\n Richard of Chichester, 70\n Righteousness, 57 (2)\n Rock, 21 (1)\n Rolle, Richard, 71, 72\n Roman Breviary, 57, 58, 59, 60\n Rulers, 10, 26\n\n S\n Salvation, 17, 27 (2), 57 (1), 62, 82\n Sanctification, 24\n Sarum Breviary, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57\n Self-Renunciation, 75 (2)\n Servants, 86\n Service, 59\n Set Free, 33\n Sick, For the, 17, 25\n Sin, 10 (1), 12 (2), 55, 59 (3), 75, 85 (3)\n Sleep, 27 (1)\n Sorrow, 51 (2)\n Spirit, Thy, 88\n Spirit of Truth, 32\n Spiritual Gladness, 53\n Spiritual Illumination, 29\n Spiritual Oneness, 38 (1)\n Steadfastness, 70\n Strength, 10 (1), 11 (2), 12 (3), 21 (2), 39, 40, 51 (2), 58 (3),\n 60, 82 (2)\n Studita, Theodore, 35, 36\n Supplication, 56\n Suffering, 25\n Suspicion, 81\n Sweetness, 79 (2)\n\n T\n Tauler, Johannes, 74\n Teach Us, 39 (1)\n Temperance, 34 (2)\n Temptation, 10 (1), 11 (2), 19, 20 (2), 21 (2, 3), 39 (1), 58, 83\n (2), 85 (3)\n Thanksgiving, 28 (2), 54 (3), 67, 70\n Theologia Germanica, 75, 76\n Thomas \u00e0 Kempis, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87\n Thy Glory, 12 (1)\n Thy Presence, 83 (1)\n Thy Will, 80, 82\n Today, For, 56\n Transgressions, 53 (1)\n Tribulations, 53 (2), 85 (1)\n Trouble, In Time of, 52\n True Worship, 27\n True Peace, 79 (1)\n Trust, 85\n Truth, 32 (2), 56 (4), 66 (1)\n\n U\n Unanimity, 38\n Understanding, 34, 39 (2)\n Union with God, 49\n Unity, 38\n Unrest, 62\n\n V\n Venerable Bede, 32\n\n W\n Walk in Holiness, 56\n Watchful Love, 26 (2)\n Weakness, 50\n Widow, For the, 17\n Will, Thy, 79, 82\n Whitsunday, 52\n Wisdom, 32 (1), 34 (2), 52 (2)\n Words, Dying, 44\n World, 9\n Worship, 27\n Wrath, 81\n\n Z\n Zeal, 49\n\n\n\n\n Transcriber\u2019s Notes\n\n\n--Copyright notice provided as in the original\u2014this e-text is public\n domain in the country of publication.\n\n--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and\n dialect unchanged.\n\n--Only in the text versions, delimited italicized text in _underscores_\n (the HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)","title":"Prayers of the Middle Ages: Light from a Thousand Years","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":15282}