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THE COLLECT FOR ALL SAINTSTIDE
Almighty God,
you have knit together your elect
in one communion and fellowship
in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord:
grant us grace so to follow your blessed saints
in all virtuous and godly living
that we may come to those inexpressible joys
that you have prepared for those who truly love you.
A TEACHER’S PRAYER
I want to teach my students how–
To live this life on earth,
To face its struggles and its strife
And to improve their worth.
Not just the lesson in a book,
Or how the rivers flow,
But to choose the proper path,
Wherever they may go.
To understand eternal truth,
And know right from wrong,
And gather all the beauty of
A flower and a song,
For if I help the world to grow
In wisdom and grace,
Then I feel that I have won
And I have filled my place.
And so I ask your guidance, God
That I may do my part,
For character and confidence
And happiness of heart.
~ James J. Metcalf
THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST
OF ST SIMON & ST JUDE
Almighty God,
you have built your Church
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets
with Jesus Christ himself as the chief corner-stone.
So join us together
in unity of spirit by their doctrine,
that we may be made a holy temple
acceptable to you.
PRAYERS FOR ONE WORLD
Disturbing, sheltering God,
give us justice to pray
For all that has been – thanks
For all that will be – yes!
Penniless, pilgrim God,
give us cheerfulness to pray
For all that has been – thanks
For all that will be – yes!
Immanent, incarnate God,
give us peace to pray
For all that has been – thanks
For all that will be – yes!
Risk-taking, dancing God,
give us courage to pray
For all that has been – thanks
For all that will be – yes!
Wise, mysterious God:
Give us the faith to pray
“For all that has been ~ thanks.
For all that will be ~ Yes!
Beautiful, surprising God,
give us light to pray
For all that has been – thanks
For all that will be – yes!
~ Members of the Iona Community,
expanding the prayer of Dag Hammarskjold
Compassionate and loving God,
you created the world
for us all to share,
a world of beauty and plenty.
Create in us a desire to live simply,
so that our lives may reflect your generosity.
Creator God,
you gave us responsibility for the earth,
a world of riches and delight.
Create in us a desire to live sustainably,
so that those who follow after us
may enjoy the fruits of your creation.
Grant, we beseech you, merciful Lord,
to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that they may be cleansed from all their sins
and serve you with a quiet mind.
God of peace and justice,
you give us the capacity to change,
to bring about a world that mirrors your wisdom.
Create in us a desire to act in solidarity,
so that the pillars of injustice crumble
and those now crushed are set free.
~ Linda Jones CAFOD
Lord, we remember how Jesus Christ
was himself tempted to turn stones to bread in the wilderness:
teach us that when we change time for our convenience:
~ night to day in our living,
patience to speed in our journeying,
winter to summer in our eating ~
we change your calendar which brings
the hatchling to the caterpillar,
the bee to the nectar,
the rains to the farmer;
to the one which brings you to the cross.
Give us grace in our simplest actions
to choose the life
which breathes in the beautiful complexity of creation,
to conquer death,
and to fit us to be Easter people.
~ Eleanor Todd Eco-congregation (Scotland)
Earth teach me freedom
as the eagle which soars in the sky.
Earth teach me resignation
as the leaves which die in the fall.
Earth teach me regeneration
as the seed which rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself
as snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness
as dry fields weep with rain.
~ Traditional Ute Prayer from North America
Eternal and Sovereign God,
We recognise that we have been branded
by the consumerist culture around us.
We have unwittingly allowed its temporary values
to override what is permanent and truly important.
We continue to damage your creation
through our over-consumption and wastefulness.
Forgive us, Lord,
and help us to refuse to conform any longer
to the false aspirations of greed and pretence of our world.
Transform our inmost sense of truth and justice
and change the direction and tempo of our lives.
Creator God, how deep are your designs!
You made a living earth, cloud, rain and wind,
and charged us with their care.
We confess that the way we live today
is changing the climate, the seas and the balance of life
dispossessing the poor and future generations.
Build our lives into an Ark for all creation,
and, as you promised Noah never to repeat the Flood,
so make us heralds of a new rainbow covenant:
choosing life for all that is at risk -
for creation, neighbours near and far,
our children and ourselves.
~ The Operation Noah Prayer
FOR BIBLE SUNDAY
Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy scriptures
to be written for our learning:
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn & inwardly digest them
that, through patience,
& the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us
in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
THE COLLECT
FOR THE FEAST OF ST LUKE
Almighty God,
you called Luke the physician
whose praise is in the gospel,
to be an evangelist & physician of the soul:
by the grace of the Spirit
& through the wholesome medicine of the gospel,
give to us
the same love & power to heal.
FOR YOM KIPPUR
You, My Eternal Friend,
Witness that I forgive anyone
who hurt or upset me or offended me -
damaging my body, my property,
my reputation or people that I love;
whether by accident or wilfully,
carelessly or purposely,
with words, deeds, thought, or attitudes;
in this lifetime or another incarnation -
I forgive every person,
May no one be punished because of me.
Help me, Eternal Friend,
to keep from offending You and others.
Help me to be thoughtful
and not commit outrage,
by doing what is evil in Your eyes.
Whatever sins I have committed,
blot out please, in Your abundant kindness
and spare me suffering or harmful illnesses.
Hear the words of my mouth and
may the meditations of my heart
find acceptance before You, Eternal Friend
Who protects and frees me.
~ rendered from the Hebrew
by R’ Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
PRAYERS FOR THE PEACE OF THE WORLD
Send Thy peace, O Lord, which is perfect and everlasting,
That our souls may radiate peace.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may think, act and speak,
Hamoniously.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may be contented and
Thankful for Thy bountiful gifts.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that amidst our worldly strife we
may enjoy Thy bliss.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may endure all, tolerate all
In the thought of Thy grace and mercy.
Send Thy peace, O lord, that our lives may become a divine
vision, and in Thy light all darkness may vanish.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, our Father and Mother, that we
Thy children on earth may all unite in one family.
~ Pir o Murshid Inayat Khan
Lord, may we seek
not so much for the peace
that passes understanding
as the understanding
that passes into peace.
O Lord, make me an instrument of your Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, harmony.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sorrow, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
~ The “Prayer of St Francis”
which first appeared in 1915
THE INVITATION
Lord, may we draw near to you,
for we hear your words of welcome:
“Come, for all things are now ready.
Come to the table with all your kin,
& share with all in need:
the gift of healing for those in pain,
the gift of forgiveness for those in sin,
the gift of assurance for those in doubt,
& the gift of hope for those in tears.”
May we who share these gifts
share also your presence with one another
& with all our kin.
A COLLECT FOR ANIMAL SUNDAY
Almighty God,
give us reverence for all your creation
& respect for each of your creatures
that we, made in your image,
may, with you, care for all living beings
seeking the good of your world.
CELEBRATING CREATION
It is right to give you thanks, loving Creator.
Your word is the impulse for all things to be,
for space, stars, and stardust to appear,
for Earth to emerge from the deep,
for life to be born of Earth,
and for humans to be born of Earth and the Spirit.
Your Spirit is the life impulse in all things,
renewing the barren and healing the wounded,
groaning in anticipation of a new creation,
stirring a new life born of water and the Spirit.
You chose to be born a human being,
to become a part of Earth,
to suffer, die, and rise from death
—to redeem humankind,
to renew creation,
& to affirm all born of Earth & the Spirit.
Your presence is the living impulse in all things,
the Christ deep among us,
filling Earth—land, sea, and air—
filling every element and place,
filling the grain and the grape
we share with you this day.
Therefore with angels and archangels,
ancient voices in the forest,
high voices from the sky,
deep voices from the sea,
and the whole company of creation,
we proclaim your presence among us.
Holy, holy, holy,
God of all life,
Earth and sea and sky are full of your presence
and glorify your name.
~ from the Web of Creation
Thanksgiving Prayer
for the Service Blessing Animals
FOR UNITY
Almighty & merciful God,
you will that the different nations
should become one people.
Grant in your kindness
that those who glory in being known as Christians
may put aside their differences
& become one in truth & charity,
and that all human beings
might be drawn into one fellowship
with one joy
& a single purpose
uniting to fulfil your will.
THE MICHAELMAS COLLECT
Everlasting God,
you have ordained & constituted
the ministry of angels & mortals
in a wonderful order:
Grant that as your holy angels
always serve you in heaven,
so, at your command,
they may help & defend us on earth…
MORE PRAYERS FOR CREATION TIME
Blessed are you, lord God of Creation,
giver of all that is good.
God of peace, God of justice,
bless us and the food we share,
that we may be one in heart and mind,
a sign of your peace on earth.
O God
in the beginning you created us
& day by day you sustain us.
In all our relationships with food,
help us to be aware
of the complex interdependent nature
of all created life.
May our meals be eaten
in solidarity with creation
& in communion with you.
Creator God,
help us to love and care for the produce
of land, sea and sky,
recognising it all as your gifts
to be cherished, protected and shared.
O Lord, hear us we pray,
O Lord, give us your love.
Almighty & everlasting God,
we offer you our hearty thanks
for your fatherly goodness & care
in giving us the fruits of the earth in their seasons.
Give us grace to use them rightly,
to your glory,
for our own well-being,
& for the relief of those in need.
Lord,
help us to live more simply,
that others may simply live.
Lord,
in the breaking of bread
all things come together.
As you give of yourself
that all may be made one,
help us so to live for others
that communities may be nurtured
& the splintered world made whole.
O Lord, hear us we pray,
O Lord, give us your love
Lord of all life,
transforming the cave of death
into a cocoon of hope:
your coming amongst us transforms our universe.
Sensitize us, we pray,
to a new all embracing concern for our environment,
and a humble regard for all creatures
who share in you a common source,
a loving Creator
& the bringer of life in all its fullness.
O Lord, hear us we pray,
O Lord, give us your love.
Loving God,
through your love for the earth and its fruits,
help us to redeem the harm we have done to our planet
so that future generations may not go hungry.
O Lord, hear us we pray,
O Lord, give us your love.
Lord,
as Christ Jesus
walked amongst the crowds
& had compassion on them
feeding them when they had strayed
into a wilderness
& found themselves hungry & short of food,
help the leaders of the world today
to do all in their power
to feed the hungry
& to give them the means
to provide tomorrow’s bread today.
O Lord, hear us we pray,
O Lord, give us your love.
O Holy Wisdom,
Root of Life,
Soaring Power,
encompass us with wings unfurled,
and carry us, encircling all,
above, below, and through the world.
~ Hildegard of Bingen
We give thanks to you, O Lord,
for the bounteous earth which
‘gives forth its fruit in due season’.
Help us to respect the seasonality of life
in our choices of food,
accepting what the earth brings forth naturally in each season
and being willing to wait for the produce
our temperate climate produces slowly.
O God, hear us we pray,
O God, give us your love for the whole of Creation.
Bounteous God,
may our sharing in food and drink
keep us aware of our dependence
on all beings
for life and strength.
May it increase our reverence
for land, sea and sky.
O God, hear us we pray,
O God, give us your love for the whole of Creation
Creator God,
for thousands of years
we, your people, have cooperated
with your creative power
at work in the land and seas around us
to bring forth food
for our nourishment and that of our children.
Help us to continue to respect the earth itself
and the natural processes around us,
so that future generations can be sustained
by that same generous life-giving earth.
O God, hear us we pray,
O God, give us your love for the whole of Creation.
Christ helped a boy share his packed lunch
and fed a giant crowd;
he calmed a troubled steward
by turning water into wine;
he gave followers a meal to remember
as he broke bread in an upper room;
& he fed weary disciples
cooking fish by a lakeside
As we thank you, Lord
for our daily bread,
help us to follow his example
& be inspired by your Spirit
in sharing our plenty,
bringing joy round the table
with food that nourishes,
restores and fulfils.
THE COLLECT FOR
THE FEAST OF ST MATTHEW
O Almighty God,
whose blessed Son called
Matthew the tax collector
to be an apostle & evangelist:
give us grace to forsake
the selfish pursuit of gain
& the possessive love of riches
that with him we too may follow
in the way of your Son
wherever he leads us.
THE COLLECT FOR THE THIRTEENTH SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
Almighty God
who called your Church to bear witness
that you were in Christ
reconciling the world to yourself:
help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you.
THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST
OF THE HOLY CROSS
Almighty God,
who in the passion of your blessed Son
made an instrument of painful death
to be for us the means of life & peace:
grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ
that we may gladly suffer for his sake.
THE COLLECT FOR
THE TWELFTH SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
Almighty & everlasting God
you are always more ready to hear
than we to pray
& to give more
than either we desire or deserve:
pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us those things
of which our conscience is afraid
& giving us those good things
which we are not worthy to ask
but through the merits and mediation
of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
PRAYERS FOR CREATION TIME
O God,
may we use the gift of our senses
to see, smell, touch and taste
your goodness shown in the daily bread we share.
Bless us as we live our lives
with awareness of your loving gift of the natural world.
May we always be
mindful of the hungry who share the earth with us
and may we be generous in providing for their needs.
O God,
as the reality of what we have done to the earth and seas,
which provide us with our daily bread,
dawns on us,
grant us the grace to do what is necessary
to cooperate with your redeeming care of the cosmos.
Give us the generosity and the courage
to do without those things
that destroy earth, air, water and all that sustains us.
Bless us anew,
that we may bless the earth with healing care,
God –
Creator, Word and Holy Spirit.
Mysterious Creator,
when we share food together
we are in communion
with the whole of your creation
in all its generosity, interdependence and fragility.
Help us to eat
with the mindfulness that will lead us
to a sacramental understanding of life.
Creator God,
we are blessed
with the gifts of the land
and the treasures of the sea.
We thank you for earth’s blessings
and for the creatures of field and farm
who feed us with their lives.
We join in praise of the Divine Love
that holds all in cosmic communion.
God,
you give us this planet
filled with your gifts for our daily bread.
Help us to reverence all of your creation,
respecting the rights of all species
and the integrity of the elements.
Teach us to realize in our hearts
as well as in our minds
that we praise you
when we use your gifts as you meant them to be used.
May we unite with all suffering creation
in the struggle for liberation
from what seeks to destroy.
Grant this that all creation may live
in justice and peace.
O God
as we eat our daily bread
a serving from field’s fare,
help us in breaking daily bread
to celebrate and share.
THE COLLECT FOR THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
O God,
you declare your almighty power
most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:
mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace,
that we, running the way of your commandments,
may receive your gracious promises,
and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure.
A HAIKU PRAYER FOR CREATION TIME
For our daily bread
thank you, may we remember
others to be fed.
FOR THE START OF CREATION-TIME
O God,
by whose laws the poles revolve,
the stars follow their courses,
the sun rules the day
and the moon presides over the night;
and all the world maintains,
as far as this world of sense allows,
the wondrous stability of things
by means of the orders and recurrences of seasons:
through the days by the changing of light and darkness,
through the months by the moon’s progressions and declines,
through the years by the successions
of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter,
through the cycles by the completion of the sun’s course,
through the great eras of time
by the return of the stars to their starting points:
uphold us today
& forever more, we pray.
~ after St Augustine of Hippo
The future is full of promise, Holy Mystery,
if only because we discern your forces of evolution
at work everywhere.
Every opening daffodil,
every growing child,
every glimmer of human enlightenment,
every bodily process of healing
tells us the future is not fearsome
but is full of promise.
Your face is hidden, your name unknown:
still we turn to you in faith and confidence.
Creating Spirit, we hear your comforting voice
in the steady music of the unfolding of creation.
We give thanks to exist,
and to be the joy of your heart.
~ A New Age prayer
REMEMBERING PRINCESS DIANA
May we live in peace without weeping.
May our joy outline the lives
we touch without ceasing.
And may our love fill the world,
angel wings tenderly beating.
~ A Traditional Irish Prayer
FOR FUTURE BLESSINGS
O Lord of all worlds,
may all that we have given up
be a blessing to those in need;
& may all upon which we have pondered
strengthen the roots of our souls
that the branches that are nurtured in your holy orchard
may bear fruit for all your people.
~ Based on a prayer for the end of Ramadan
FOR CONFIDENCE
O most merciful one,
envelope us with your forgiveness
& bring us out from the region of fear
& false accusations
to discover the light anew
to walk lightly into the light.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the twenty ninth day of Ramadan
A COLLECT FOR THE TENTH SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
Lord of heaven & earth,
you have urged us
to be persistent in prayer:
give us patience & courage
never to lose hope
but to continue to bring our prayers before you
at all times & in all places.
TOWARDS OUR GOAL
O Compassionate One,
surrounding your servants
with kindness & mercy:
on this day, bestow on us your blessings,
that our path may be made more straightforward,
the burden of our sins lightened,
& our prayers always acceptable in your sight.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the twenty sixth day of Ramadan
TO HAVE OUR EFFORTS ACKNOWLEDGED
O sifter of hearts
who hears our words
while they are still thoughts
& listens to our longings:
on this day,
bless our every attempt to do your will,
that our good intentions may be appreciated,
our failures forgotten
& our flaws fade away.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the twenty fifth day of Ramadan
TO BE GOD’S TRUSTWORTHY FRIENDS
O the Guardian of the hearts
of those who see into your mysteries
& proclaim them to your world:
bring us close into the company
of those whom you count as your friends.
& give us the grace so to live
that you may count on us.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the twenty fifth day of Ramadan
THE COLLECT FOR
THE FEAST OF ST BARTHOLOMEW
Almighty & everlasting God
who gave to your apostle Bartholomew
grace
truly to believe
& to preach your word:
grant that we
may love that word
which he believed
& may faithfully receive
& pass on that same word.
ON LIFE’S BENEDICTIONS
O Guide towards all truth,
bring us this day
to a greater appreciation of its bounties
a greater wisdom in using its blessings,
& the readiness to perceive & to accept
each opportunity it presents
for doing your will.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the sixteenth day of Ramadan
FOR PEACE IN OUR HEARTS
O Helper of those who seek help,
on this day bar the door of our hearts
from all anger inspired by satanic powers
& from all that vitiates our shared humanity:
& open our souls instead
to your creative love.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the fifteenth day of Ramadan
FOR THE FULFILMENT OF HOPES
Lord, you see into the hearts of all people,
& you need neither to question nor explain:
Sift though our desires
& fulfil our needs
as may be most right for us
& answer the hopes of those whom we love
as may be best for them:
& may all those who hope for what will be good for us.
especially those who have inspired & led your own
down the centuries
find their prayers answered
even in our time.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the fourteenth day of Ramadan
FOR INTEGRITY
O God of all the worlds,
grant us on this day
to stop patching up our lives
with half-heartedness & piece-meal solutions
but rather the resolve
to live at one
with the harmony at the heart of creation.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the thirteenth day of Ramadan
THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST
OF THE VIRGIN MARY
Almighty God,
who looked upon the lowliness
of the Blessed Virgin Mary
& chose her to be the mother of your only Son:
Grant that we who are redeemed by his blood
may share with her
in the glory of your eternal kingdom.
THE COLLECT FOR
THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
Almighty and everlasting God,
we beseech you to direct, sanctify & govern
both our hearts & our bodies
in the ways of your laws:
that through your most mighty protection,
both here & ever,
we may be preserved in body & soul.
FOR PATIENCE UNDER SUFFERING
You are the One, Lord,
to whom the destitute turn:
instil in our hearts the quality of patience
that with a unyielding trust in your power
we may live aright
& rejoice in the company of all those
who seek to do your will.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the thirteenth day of Ramadan
FOR PURITY OF PURPOSE
O Protector of those who fear,
help us to adhere to the even-handedness you seek,
that clad by the pure robe of calm
we may work for a world that is fairer:
more beautiful & more just.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the twelfth day of Ramadan
FOR CALM
O Helper of those who seek help,
awake in us a love of goodness
& quell in us the instinct to do evil,
that though your saving power
the bitter flames of anger
may be extinguished
both in our hearts & in our world.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the eleventh day of Ramadan
FOR DIVINE POWER
O Goal of all Seekers,
give us a growing reliance upon you.
upon your grace & upon the success
that stems from depending
upon your strength alone.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the tenth day of Ramadan
FOR HOPE
O Hope of the World,
ever seeking to answer
the longings of all peoples:
grant us a share in your loving kindness,
guide us towards your shining truths,
& lead us towards your joy
that surrounds & threads through
this life with which you have blessed us.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the ninth day of Ramadan
FOR A READINESS TO SERVE
O Shelter of the Hopeful,
give us grace at this time
to be mindful of the bereft,
to feed the hungry
& to spread peace:
so may we be in good company,
those whose lives are held together
in acts of sacrificial service.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the eighth day of Ramadan
THE COLLECT
FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
Lord of all power & might,
the author and giver of all good things:
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy keep us in the same.
A COLLECT
FOR THE FEAST
OF CHRIST’S TRANSFIGURATION
Father in heaven,
whose Son Jesus Christ
was wonderfully transfigured
before chosen witnesses
upon the holy mountain,
& spoke of the exodus
he would accomplish at Jerusalem:
Give us strength to hear his voice
& to bear our cross
that in the world to come
we may see him as he is.
VOCATION
O Most Merciful One,
may I find my place,
among those seeking for mercy,
among those seeking to do your will,
among those you call as your closest friends:
place me through your loving-kindness
ever at your side.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the fifth day of Ramadan
FOR GRACE
O Most Discerning of all who see,
surround us with your protection
that we may delight in your presence,
remember you at every step
& by your grace
be strengthened in doing your will.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the fourth day of Ramadan
FOR GENEROSITY
O most generous God,
you send down upon us
so many gifts:
grant us to be ever aware of these your blessings
that we too may be generous
with all that you have given to us.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the third day of Ramadan
FOR A DELIGHT IN THE DIVINE PRESENCE
O God of the worlds,
on this day
may all that angers you
be diminished;
& as we listen to your word
may our delight in it increase
as we are brought closer & closer
into your presence
delighting in your company.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the second day of Ramadan
FOR FORGIVENESS
O God of the worlds,
you stand ready to forgive all sinners,
forgive us all we have done wrong,
awaken us from the sleep of the heedless
that our devotion may be sincere
& our life the life of the obedient.
~ adapted from a prayer suggested
for the first day of Ramadan
THE COLLECT FOR THE SIXTH SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you
in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire.
THE POINT OF PRAYER
Help us, O Lord,
to take to heart
the insight of William Wilberforce,
& remember that if we do not pray to you
our lives will not suffer,
but yours will.
ON THE FEAST OF THE HOME AT BETHANY
O God, heavenly Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ
enjoyed rest and refreshment
in the home of Mary & Martha & Lazarus of Bethany:
Give us the will to love you,
open our hearts to hear you,
& strengthen our hands to serve you in others
now & forever.
TO THE HOLY TRINITY
A Christian’s freedom from anxiety
is not due to some guaranteed freedom from trouble,
but to the folly of worry
and especially to the confidence that God is our Father,
that even permitted suffering
is within the orbit of his care.
~ John Stott
whose death was announced today
FOR INNER STRENGTH
Blessed Lord,
who was tempted in all things like we are,
have mercy on our frailty.
Out of weakness give us strength.
Grant to us your fear
so that we may fear you only.
Support us in time of temptation.
Embolden us in time of danger.
Help us to do your work with good courage
and to continue as your faithful soldiers and servants
to the end of our life.
~ Brooke Foss Westcott
FOR THE FEAST OF
ST JOACHIM & ST ANNE
Lord,
help families and society
to value the presence and roles of grandparents.
May they never be ignored or excluded,
but always encounter respect and love.
Help them to live serenely and to feel welcomed
in all the years of life which you give them.
And grant that all families
may one day be reunited in our heavenly homeland,
where you await all humanity
for the great embrace of live without end.
THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST
OF ST JAMES THE GREAT
Merciful God,
we pray that as your holy apostle Saint James
left his father & all that he had
& obeyed the calling
of your Son Jesus Christ
even to death:
so may we forsake every selfish desire
& be ready at all times
to answer your call.
THE COLLECT FOR
THE FIFTH SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
Almighty & everlasting God
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is governed and sanctified:
hear our prayer which we offer
for all your faithful people,
that in their vocation and ministry
they may serve you in holiness & truth
to the glory of your name.
A CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP PRAYER
Oh Lord, giver of life
and source of our freedom,
we are reminded that yours
is “the earth in its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.”
We know that it is from your hand
that we have received all we have and are and will be.
Gracious and loving God,
we understand that you call us
to be the stewards of your abundance,
the caretakers of all you have entrusted to us.
Help us always to use your gifts wisely
and teach us to share them generously.
May our faithful stewardship bear witness
to your love in our lives.
THE COLLECT FOR
THE FEAST OF ST MARY MAGDALENE
Almighty God,
whose Son restored Mary Magdalene
to health of body & mind
& called her to be a witness to his resurrection:
forgive our sins & heal us by your grace,
that we may serve you
in the power of his risen life.
THROUGH ALL THE STAGES OF OUR LIFE
Lord.
whose Son’s hands
blessed little children,
may we find your love encircling us
even also as we grow old.
WAKING THE DEAD
O lurking God of dark corners,
threatening God of hidden ways,
surprising God of sudden delights:
may we be ready to act
as swiftly as you do,
& with as little self-advertisement.
A LITTLE PRAYER OF GRATITUDE
God,
thank you for the blessings of yesterday
& for all you have bestowed upon me today.
Help me share your generosity and love
with those I meet tomorrow.
THE WARFARE FOR THE WELFARE OF THE WORLD
Let us do our duty
in our shop or our kitchen,
the market, the street,
the office, the school,
the home,
just as faithfully as if we stood in the front rank
of some great battle,
and we knew that victory for mankind depended
upon our bravery, strength, and skill.
~ Theodore Parker
OUR PART IN THE GREAT DIVIDE…
God of justice and compassion,
We ask forgiveness for the widening gulf
between rich and poor,
and for the suffering of those people
who are excluded from the table of abundance.
Forgive us for our focus on material goods,
in a world where resources are limited
and where we are already using more than our fair share.
Forgive us for going along with what is easy.
Fill us with a living faith.
Make us instruments of personal and social reconciliation.
~ CAFOD
GOOD MATES WITH MAMMON
Lord, we know only too well
that money is a good servant
but a bad master:
help us to understand
how we might with sensitivity & imagination
so make money our friend
that it may serve those
in greatest need of it.
HE CAME TO HIMSELF
Father,
when we find ourselves
may we also find you:
your love…
ahead of us, around us
& even putting right our past.
THE BENEDICTINE VISION
O God, our Father,
inexhaustible font of life and peace,
welcome into your merciful embrace
those who fell in the war that raged here,
those who fell in every war that has bloodied the earth.
Grant that they may rejoice in the light that does not fade,
that they glimpsed and desired in faith
during their earthly pilgrimage.
You, who in Jesus Christ, your Son,
offered to suffering humanity
the greatest testimony of your love,
and who through his Cross redeemed the world
from the dominion of sin and death,
grant to those who are still suffering
because of fratricidal war
the power of invincible hope,
the courage of daily acts of peace,
the active confidence in the civilization of love.
Pour forth your Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,
upon the men of our time,
so that they may understand that peace
is more precious than any corruptible treasure,
and may tirelessly work all together
to prepare for new generations
a world where justice and peace reign.
Father, good and merciful,
make us your sons and daughters in Christ,
perseverant builders of peace
and untiring servants of life,
the inestimable gift of your love.
~ A prayer used by the Pope in 2009
on visiting the Polish military cemetery in Monte Cassino
FOR NEWS OF ANOTHER WORLD
Almighty God,
you proclaim your truth in every age
by many voices:
Direct, in our time, we pray,
those who speak where many listen
and write what many read;
that they may do their part
in making the heart of this people wise,
its mind sound,
and its will righteous.
FOR HUMILITY
Lord, may I daily be reminded
that the sufficiency of my merit
is to know that my merit
is not sufficient.
~ St Augustine of Hippo
A PRAYER FOR FERVOUR WHEN THINKING UPON GOD
O Lord,
give us a mind
that is humble, quiet, peaceable,
patient and charitable,
and a taste of your Holy Spirit
in all our thoughts, words, and deeds.
O Lord,
give us a lively faith, a firm hope,
a fervent charity, a love of you.
Take from us all lukewarmness in meditation
and all dullness in prayer.
Give us fervour and delight in thinking of you,
your grace, and your tender compassion toward us.
Give us,
good Lord,
the grace to work for
the things we pray for.
~ St Thomas More
IN THE IMPENDING CRISIS
O God, our refuge and strength,
our help in times of trouble,
have mercy upon those now threatened by famine
in the Horn of Africa:
comfort those fleeing to over-crowded refugee camps,
assist all those labouring to avert the growing crisis
& awake in the hearts of those in wealthier lands
a spirit of compassion & generosity
that new hope may be kindled
& lives restored.
FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
Our Father in Heaven,
the inspiration of every generous impulse,
& every high & noble aspiration,
we thank you from our heart of hearts
for the spirit which inspired
the founding of the United States:
& we pray that now along with so many
throughout the world
the struggle may continue
for humanity, liberty, justice,
& equal rights for all humanity.
~ adapted from the prayer offered in 1918
by the then Chaplain to the United States Congress
Henry N. Couden
THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST OF ST THOMAS
Almighty & eternal God,
who, for the firmer foundation of our faith,
allowed your holy apostle Thomas
to doubt the resurrection of your Son
till word & sight convinced him:
grant to us, who have not seen,
that we also may believe
& so to confess Christ
as our Lord & our God.
ENDEAVOUR
Let us live in the harness,
striving mightily.
~ Theodore Roosevelt
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Lord,
may we daily hear
your demands,
your challenges,
& your voice moment by moment urging us on;
& may we respond with all strenuousness
but also with the willingness
to receive help from others
& to labour always seeking the strength
that can only come from you.
WAITING
Lord,
nothing is more frustrating
than waiting.
During those times
when we have no control
over what we long for
except to await longer,
nurture in us during those times
both the gift of patience
& the gift of expectancy:
that we might be relaxed enough not to stress out
& yet anxious enough to be ready
when the moment of opportunity arrives.
A PRAYER FOR THE FEAST
OF ST PETER & ST PAUL
Pursuing,
shepherding,
& converting God,
your risen Son appeared
to both Peter and Paul,
undoing their past,
claiming them for the work of your Church,
sending them out as witnesses
to a deeper love.
Undo & claim us,
that we too may finish the race
that you have set before us
in our day & age.
INVESTING IN ETERNITY
Father, may we so hear & heed your word
that we may make our only treasure with you.
May we see how this life is a precious gift,
with its beauty only prefiguring
that of the life to come.
So may we focus not just on what you give us here,
but on the promise that we will find its meaning & purpose
in a wider context
in the dimension of eternity.
May this sense thus become a breath of fresh air
enabling us to live in a new way,
richly towards you & richly towards others.
PRAYER OF PROVIDENCE
My life, with all of its ups and downs,
I gently place into your hands,
Provident God.
My loved ones,
those here and those living in the fullness of your life,
I gently place into your hands,
Provident God.
My daily work and all who come into my life through it.
I gently place into your hands,
Provident God.
Our Church and all of the people of God,
I gently place into your hands,
Provident God.
Our planet and our universe,
revelations of your love,
I gently place into your hands,
Provident God.
In your hands, may we learn to be
expressions of your Providence
today and always.
~ Sister Denise Wilkinson SP
THE COLLECT FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY SUNDAY
O God,
the strength of all those
who put their trust in you,
mercifully accept our prayers
and, because through the weakness
of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you,
grant us the help of your grace,
that in the keeping of your commandments
we may please you both in will and deed.
A MIDSUMMER PRAYER
In midsummer, under the luminous sky of everlasting light,
the laced structures of thought fall away
like the filigrees of the white diaphanous
dandelion turned pure white and ghostly,
hovering at the edge of its own insubstantial
discovery in flight. I’ll do the same, watch
the shimmering dispersal of tented seeds
lodge in the tangled landscape without
the least discrimination. So let my own hopes
escape the burning wreck of ambition, parachute
through the hushed air, let them spread elsewhere,
into the tangled part of life that refuses to be set straight.
Herod searched for days looking for the children.
The mind’s hunger for fame will hunt down all innocence.
Let them find safety in the growing wild.
I’ll not touch them there.
~ David Whyte
FOR THE FEAST OF THE BIRTH
OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Lord, you despatched
the troubler of Israel,
the turner of hearts:
Last but also First–
John the Baptizer!
Make straight a new path,
through today’s wilderness,
& bring a new people,
to you, awaiting us & inviting us
to a Message that is always
bigger than we are.
Like John,
as we hear & speak this great news
may we grow smaller.
~ based on a prayer
of the Centre for Action & Contemplation
FOR THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI
Almighty & ever living God,
we thank you with all our hearts
for feeding us with the holy food
of the body & blood of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
We also thank you for your love & care for us
in making us members of his living body
which is the family of all your people,
and for giving us a share in eternal life.
And so Father keep us in your grace,
that we may do the good work
that you have made ready for us.
And here we give ourselves,
our souls and bodies to you,
to be a holy and living sacrifice.
~ from the Melanesian Prayer Book
OUR HEART’S DESIRE
True prayer is only another name
for the love of God.
The true prayer is that of the heart,
and the heart prays
only for what it desires.
To pray, then, is to desire
…but to desire
what God would have us desire.
~ Francois de Salignac Fenelon
Listen therefore, Lord,
not to our many words;
but to our heart.
And may our heart
beat
in time
with yours.
THE BETTER PART
Save us, Lord,
from being so busy
that we fail to see
the work you are doing deep within us.
Help us to cope with all that distracts us
from true friendship with you.
Prevent us from bothering
about the attitude of others
rather than perceiving
that what really matters
is your concern for us.
So Lord give us the humility
to let you serve us
rather than worrying
about how you are being served.
THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Truly you, Lord, are the Good Samaritan,
the Divine Neighbour,
who has stopped by the side of the road,
to soothe the wounds
of our suffering, our weakness, our sin.
You call us to be neighbours to one another,
especially to those most in need of our love & care.
May we become your loving eyes & heart & hands.
And may we find, in the persons we serve,
your eyes returning our gaze.
Teach us, O Lord, each day,
to search life’s roadsides & ditches,
for the fallen, the weary, the wounded, the lonely, the poor.
May we not “pass by on the other side”,
but, like the Good Samaritan, stoop
to help, to heal, to carry the person to an inn of hope.
~ adapted from the Affiliate Prayer of the Catholic Charities
THE COLLECT FOR
TRINITY SUNDAY
Almighty and everlasting God,
you have given us your servant’s grace,
by the confession of a true faith,
to acknowledge the grace of the eternal Trinity
and in the power of the divine majesty
to worship the Unity:
keep us steadfast in this faith,
that we may evermore be defended
from all adversities.
SEEKING STABILITY
O God you are in the midst of us
and we are called by your name.
As the foundations of our society
are shaken and our future is uncertain,
may we be given the grace to trust in you.
May we find our refuge and strength
in your eternal changelessness.
ON WINGS OF SONG
Along the pathway of tears
may I scent the flowers.
When I walk alone
may songs keep me company.
In the valley of desolation
may I hear in my heart
the echo of long-loved melodies.
As the track climbs upward
& the way grows harder,
may the music of heaven
lighten my load.
~ A Prayer based on the Mexican Prayer of the Singer
A SENSE OF PROPORTION
O God,
help us to accept
that if you were small enough
to be understood,
you would not be big enough
to be worshipped.
~ A Prayer based on one of the sayings
of Evelyn Underhill
LET US BE TRANSFIGURED!
Let’s go up the mountain.
Let’s go up to the place where the land meets the sky
where the earth touches the heavens,
to the place of meeting,
to the place of mists,
to the place of voices and conversations,
to the place of listening.
~ William Loader
TOWARDS HOLINESS
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy.
~ St Augustine of Hippo
THE COLLECT FOR
WHIT SUNDAY
God, who as at this time
taught the hearts of your faithful people
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit:
grant us by the same Spirit
to have a right judgement in all things
and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort.
THE COLLECT FOR
THE FEAST OF ST BARNABAS
Generous God,
whose Son Jesus Christ has taught us
that it is more blessed to give
than to receive:
Help us
by the example of your apostle Barnabas,
a good man, full of the Holy Spirit & of faith,
to be generous in our judgments
& unselfish in our service
this day & always.
COMMUNICATING CALM
Lord,
your prophets longed for the time
when nation would speak peace unto nation.
May we hear your healing words today,
& be guided in using them ourselves.
May clearly stated principles
be set above veiled claims for power.
May dialogue may disarm dread,
conversations dispel suspicion
& friendships replace fear.
FOR SHAVUOT
We give thanks for the joy of learning,
for the love of teaching & being taught,
for the gift that connects us to you,
to each other
and to your divine word.
Your wisdom is near to us,
in our hearts & in our mouths,
in our hands & in our lives,
so that we may teach it to each other
with humility & love.
Hear our prayer for those who teach & learn,
bringing new light to your people.
Make our moments together a celebration.
Let heaven pour wisdom & strength through them
so that they overflow with enthusiasm & wonder
drawing others into your service
that they with us may make
the journey back to heaven,
and rejoice.
~ Alden Solovy
THE WORD WITHIN
No longer, O Lord,
may we remain
wrapped up in ourselves.
give us rather the temerity
to unpack our hearts in your presence,
putting to one side
all that speaks only of ourselves,
& treasuring rather all those things
which can serve to link us to others
& to you.
FOR FECUNDITY
Blessing to the seed I scatter,
Where it falls upon the meadow,
By the grace of Ukko mighty,
Through the open finger spaces
Of the hand that all things fashioned.
Queen of meadow-land and pasture!
Bid the earth unlock her treasures.
Bid the soil the young seed nourish,
Never shall their teeming forces
Never shall their strength prolific
Fail to nourish and sustain us
If the Daughters of Creation,
They, the free and bounteous givers
Still extend their, gracious favour
Offer still their strong protection.
Rise, O Earth! from out thy slumbers
Bid the soil unlock her treasures!
~ An ancient Finnish Prayer
FOR GRACE
O God,
you know our shortcomings
& our crying need for your grace
gently restoring our lives.
So often we blame others for what goes wrong
rather than facing up to our own inadequacies.
So often our good intentions fade away
& our yearning to do what is right
becomes hazy & perplexed.
But as other high aims pale
& become confused,
may one prayer remain:
our plea for your strength
renewing our own.
A COLLECT FOR THE SUNDAY
AFTER ASCENSION DAY
O God the king of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place
where our Saviour Christ is gone before.
LOOK UP!
O Almighty God, who by your holy apostle
has taught us to set our affection on things above:
not on things on earth,
grant us so to labour in this life
as ever to be mindful
of our citizenship in heavenly places
where our Saviour Christ is gone before.
~ The South African Book of Common Prayer
AN ASCENSIONTIDE PRAYER
Your Ascension into heaven
marks the culmination of the Paschal Mystery,
and it contains an important teaching for us.
May we live life as an earthly reality
and develop our human potential to the fullest.
May we make use of the results of science
to achieve a better life on this planet.
But in our best moments
we know that there must be more
than all of this,
a transcending Reality.
As Christians, we know that this Reality
is Your loving Father
Who awaits us with You and the Holy Spirit.
Where You have gone,
we ultimately will come – if we are faithful.
~ from the New Saint Joseph People’s Prayer Book
THE ASCENSION DAY COLLECT
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that as we believe your Son
our Lord Jesus Christ
to have ascended into the heavens,
so we in heart & mind
may also ascend
& with him continually dwell
who is alive & reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now & forever.
A PRAYER FOR ROGATIONTIDE
~ Holding a flask of water in our hands we say…
Sustaining God,
we receive the fruits of the earth from you.
We give you thanks
for the smell of the earth after rain,
for its welcome cooling,
and its necessary hydration for the land.
We ask that the rain come
as often as it is needed
so that crops may flourish
and the coming harvest be indeed bountiful.
~ Web of Creation
A COLLECT FOR THE FEAST
OF THE VISITATION
Eternal Father,
you inspired the Virgin Mary,
mother of your Son,
to visit Elizabeth and assist her in her need.
Keep us open to the working of your Spirit,
and with Mary may we praise you for ever.
A PRAYER FOR ROGATIONTIDE
~ Holding a seed in our hands we say…
Creating God,
you have given seed for the sower
and bread to the people.
Nourish, protect, and bless
the seeds which your people have sown in hope.
By your loving and bountiful giving,
may they bring forth their fruit in due season.
~ Web of Creation
THE ROGATION SUNDAY COLLECT
Almighty & everlasting God,
you are always more ready to hear
than we to pray
and give
more than either we desire or deserve.
Pour down upon us
the abundance of your mercy,
forgiving us
those things of which our conscience is afraid
and giving us those good things
which we are not worthy to ask
save through the merits and mediation
of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
BEATITUDE
“Of this blest man,
let his just praise be given,
Heaven was in him,
before he was in Heaven.”
~ Izaak Walton,
written of Dr. Richard Sibbes
in a copy of his
“The Returning Backslider”
Lord, may we aspire
to such blessedness
& find you upholding us in this aim
all our days.
A LITTLE PRAYER
Let us be thankful, Lord, for little things -
The song of birds, the rapture of the rose;
Cloud-dappled skies, the laugh of limpid springs,
Drowned sunbeams and the perfume April blows;
Bronze wheat a-shimmer, purple shade of trees -
Let us be thankful, Lord of Life, for these!
Let us be praiseful, Sire, for simple sights; -
The blue smoke curling from a fire of peat;
Keen stars a-frolicking on frosty nights,
Prismatic pigeons strutting in a street;
Daisies dew-diamonded in smiling sward -
For simple sights let us be praiseful, Lord!
Let us be grateful, God, for health serene,
The hope to do a kindly deed each day;
The faith of fellowship, a conscience clean,
The will to worship and the gift to pray;
For all of worth in us, of You a part,
Let us be grateful, God, with humble heart.
~ Robert Service
THE DIVERSE IN HARMONY
O God, we are one with you.
You have made us one with you.
You have taught us that if we are open to one another,
you dwell in us.
Help us to preserve this openness
and to fight for it with all our hearts.
Help us to realize that there can be no understanding
where there is mutual rejection.
O God, in accepting one another
wholeheartedly, fully, completely,
we accept you, and we thank you, and we adore you,
and we love you with our whole being,
because our being is your being,
our spirit is rooted in your spirit.
Fill us then with love,
and let us be bound together with love
as we go our diverse ways,
united in this one spirit
which makes you present in the world,
and which makes you witness to the ultimate reality
that is love.
Love has overcome.
Love is victorious.
~ Thomas Merton
PENETRATING SCRIPTURES’ MYSTERIES
Highest father of lights,
by whom every excellent thing is given
and from whom every perfect gift descends,
you have given me,
the humblest of your servants,
both the love and the aid
to consider the wonders of your law,
and have manifested to me,
unworthy though I am,
the grace to not only grasp the ancient offerings
in the treasury of this prophetic book
but also to discover new ones beneath the veil of the old
and to bring them forth for the use of my fellow servants.
– Remember me with favour, oh my God.
~ The Venerable Bede
in his Commentary on Ezra
THE PLEDGE
I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put met to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing,
put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by you or laid aside by you,
enabled for you or brought low by you.
Let me be full,
let me be empty.
Let me have all things,
let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
You are mine, and I am yours.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
~ from John Wesley’s “Covenant Prayer”
SENT INTO ALL THE WORLD
God of mountain, river and plain,
of scattered centres and rural town,
of people black and white:
Inspire us by your Spirit
with the message of your Good News,
And fill us with desire
to share your love with all.
~ from the Diocese of Bathurst: Australia
THE COLLECT FOR
THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTERTIDE
Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us
the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect.
TRINITY OF PURPOSE
Creator God,
You loved the world into life.
Forgive us when our dreams of the future
are shaped by anything other than glimpses of a kingdom
of justice, peace and an end to poverty.
Incarnate God,
you taught us to speak out for what is right.
Make us content with nothing less than a world
that is transformed into the shape of love,
where poverty shall be no more.
Breath of God,
let there be abundant life.
Inspire us with the vision of poverty over,
and give us the faith, courage and will
to make it happen.
~ A Prayer for Christian Aid Week
FOR A NEW WORLD
God of reconciliation and grace,
you promise us a world where all is new,
where love is born when hope is gone,
where broken relationships are restored to wholeness.
May we live as people who know your story of love,
and we have the vision to imagine what could be possible
if we dared to live this story.
God of abundant life,
may we be witnesses of love, hope and peace,
and co-creators of your life in the world.
~ A Prayer for Christian Aid Week
THAT WE MAY BE STARTLED
God of the impossible,
we pray for justice, peace and reconciliation.
And when the challenges seem too many,
remind us of your resurrection power,
and the miracles of your love that happen
whenever injustice is dismantled and rebuilt with peace.
Help us to hope that the impossible can happen
and live as if it might do so today.
~ A Christian Aid Prayer
THE WAY OF THE LORD
May it come soon
to the hungry,
to the weeping,
to those who thirst for your justice,
to those who have waited centuries
for a truly human life.
Grant us the patience to smooth the way
on which your Kingdom comes to us.
Grant us hope, that we may not weary
in proclaiming and working for it.
Grant us a clear vision,
that in this hour of our history,
we may see the horizon
and know the way on which your
Kingdom comes to us.
~ A Christian Aid Week Prayer
TRINITY OF PURPOSE
Creator God,
in you we believe,
maker of thought and music,
maker of the wind,
maker of peace and love.
Jesus our Lord,
in you we trust,
friend of the poor,
companion of the lonely,
shepherd of the lost.
Holy Spirit of life,
in you we find our belonging,
source of our unity,
disturber of our complacency,
bringer of our transformation.
Blessed Trinity,
gather us in to your community,
in the power of your justice,
in the conviction of your promise,
in the glory of your vision.
Blessed be God forever!
~ A Prayer for Christian Aid Week
FEED MY SHEEP
Lord,
renew us in the image of Christ,
the good shepherd,
who gave his life for us.
So that we may live in such a way
that your world will be freed from poverty,
and all your children will have life,
and have it fully.
~ A Prayer for Christian Aid Week
A COLLECT FOR GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY
Lord of peace,
whose Son laid down his life for your flock:
still our souls that we may hear his voice
& with all, near & far, be gathered together
into one fold & one shepherd.
THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST
OF ST MATTHIAS
Almighty God,
who in the place of the traitor Judas
chose your faithful servant Matthias
to be of the number of the Twelve:
preserve your Church from false apostles
and, by the ministry of faithful pastors and teachers,
keep us steadfast in your truth.
FOR PEACE ON EARTH
Ah! when shall all men’s good
be each man’s rule,
and universal peace lie
like a shaft of light across the land?
~ Lord Alfred Tennyson
HOPE
Give us, O Lord,
not that vague hope
assuming that things will turn out well,
but that bright hope
which has within it the certainty
that things make sense,
regardless of however they turn out.
~ A prayer based on words of Vaclav Havel
APTNESS IS ALL
At fitting times may the wind blow;
in the right seasons may the rain fall;
at the appropriate moment may your people be blessed:
in sorrow may we seek our souls’ true need;
& in joy may we discover our hearts’ desire.
OPEN TO GOD
I ask Thee for a thoughtful love,
Through constant watching wise,
To meet the glad with joyful smiles,
And to wipe the weeping eyes;
And a heart at leisure from itself,
To soothe and sympathise.
I would not have the restless will
That hurries to and fro,
Seeking for some great thing to do
Or secret thing to know;
I would be treated as a child,
And guided where I go.
So I ask Thee for the daily strength,
To none that ask denied,
And a mind to blend with outward life
While keeping at Thy side;
Content to fill a little space,
If Thou be glorified.
~ Anna Letitia Waring
GOD’S INTEGRITY
Praise be to you God,
ever unmatched in power and greatness,
from and to eternity.
Yours is the glory that excels,
You are the One the only,
the ever living,
the all sufficient,
the disposer who brings into being
and makes to pass away,
the arbiter of will
who decrees and decides and determines,
in whose power resides
all lapsing and receding and approaching
in the world of things.
You are the listener, the observer,
who hide us in Your Grace,
who surveys all that we conceal or that we disclose,
the King who bestows and withholds,
who brings together and who puts apart,
who enriches and makes poor.
You are the One
who speaks the eternal word from of old
which never perishes and never fades.
~ Taharat al-Qulub
THE COLLECT FOR
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTERTIDE
Almighty Father,
who in your great mercy
gladdened the disciples
with the sight of the risen Lord:
give us such knowledge of his presence with us
that we may be strengthened & sustained
by his risen life
& serve you continually
in righteousness & truth.
FOR FAITH
Lord,
may we not so much
seek to understand that we may believe
but seek to believe
that we may understand.
~ based on a saying of
St Augustine of Hippo
FOR THE WISDOM OF PEACE
Father God
in this violent world,
where so often it seems only possible
to meet acts of terrorism,
with yet more killing,
grant us the wisdom and strength to stand up for peace,
and a stop to retribution.
We remember those who,
as the political situations of the world shift dramatically,
are placed in even greater danger,
asking you Lord, to protect them.
Shine the true light of your love
in the darkest corners of your world,
and through the power of your Holy Spirit,
change the hearts of those who seek what is evil.
~ A Reader in Writing
FOR GUIDANCE IN VOTING
Give your wisdom, O Lord,
to all of us called today
to make a choice,
that our decisions may be informed
& motivated by more than self-interest,
seeking both the general good
& respect for each individual opinion.
FOR THE CONTEXT OF GOD
God of all Truth,
grant to us the grace
to perceive
the mysteries of the universe
within the perspective of eternity
& to understand
the complexities of human relationships
in the light of your love.
A COLLECT
FOR THE FEAST OF ST MARK
Almighty God,
by the hand of Mark the evangelist
you have given to your Church
the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God:
the good news he brought,
the good news he was.
We thank you for this witness,
and pray that we may be
firmly grounded in its truth,
the good news we bring
the good news you challenge us to be.
THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST
OF ST GEORGE
God of hosts,
who so kindled the flame of love
in the heart of your servant George
that he bore witness to the risen Lord
by his life & by his death:
give us the same faith & power of love
that we who rejoice in his triumphs
may come to share with him
the fullness of the resurrection.
THE COLLECT FOR THE FEAST
OF ST PHILIP & ST JAMES
Almighty Father,
whom truly to know is eternal life,
teach us to know your Son Jesus Christ
as the way, the truth & the life;
that we may follow the steps
of your holy apostles Philip & James.
& walk steadfastly in the way
that leads to your glory.
FOR THE ROYAL WEDDING DAY
Heavenly Father,
we ask your blessing
upon all those
who pledge their love for each other in marriage.
May your love unite them through their lives.
Grant especially to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge
the strength to serve you,
our country and the Commonwealth
with integrity and faithfulness.
~ A Prayer based on the one issued for the Royal Wedding
by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales
God of all grace,
friend and companion,
look in favour on William and Catherine
and all who are made one in marriage.
In your love deepen their love
and strengthen their wills
to keep the promises they make this day,
that they may continue
in life-long faithfulness to each other.
LOVE’S FLAME
You, eternal Trinity,
are a deep sea.
The more I enter you,
the more I discover,
and the more I discover,
the more I seek you.
~ Catherine of Siena
Dialogue 167
O abyss!
O eternal Godhead!
O deep sea!
What more could you have given me
than the gift of your very self?
~ Catherine of Siena
Dialogue 167
Holy Spirit,
come into my heart,
and in your power
draw it to you.
~ Catherine of Siena
Prayer 6
Lord, you are a fire
always burning but never consuming;
you are a fire consuming in your heat
all the soul’s selfish love;
you are a fire lifting all chill
and giving light…
Lord illuminate us,
Lord, draw us together through your love.
~ A Prayer based on St Catherine of Siena’s Dialogue 167.
THE EASTER COLLECT
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory.
ON KINDLING THE EASTER FIRE
O God in Trinity,
your presence is revealed in thunder, rain & fire.
Grant that all baptized
into the death of your Son,
may find your Spirit burning within them
destroying all things
that keep your world from you
& kindling in their hearts
true affection & zeal.
A GOOD FRIDAY PRAYER
God, our Judge and Saviour,
set before us the vision of your purity,
and let us see our sins in the light of your holiness.
Pierce our self-contentment
with the shafts of your burning love,
and let that love consume all that hinders us
from the perfect service of your kingdom;
for as your Son’s holiness is our judgement,
so are his wounds our salvation.
SHARING THE WORLD’S SORROW
O Jesus,
how many generous souls
have kept Thee company in the Garden,
sharing Thy bitterness and Thy mortal anguish…
How many hearts
in the course of the centuries
have responded generously to Thy invitation…
May this multitude of souls, then,
in this supreme hour, be a comfort to Thee,
who, better than the disciples,
share with Thee the distress of Thy heart,
and cooperate with Thee
for their own salvation and that of others.
And grant that I also may be of their number,
that I also may offer Thee some relief.
~ Padre Pio (1887-1968)
KYRIE ELEISON
Have mercy,
my God, for my tears’ sake;
Look hither,
heart and eyes
weep bitterly before Thee.
Have mercy!
my God, for my tears’ sake.
~ Picander
(Christian Friedrich Henrici 1700-1764)
MY CHAINS FALL OFF…
Through your captivity,
O Son of God,
comes our freedom;
your prison is the throne of grace,
a refuge for all pious folk;
for if you had not entered into bondage
our bondage would have lasted for ever.
~ J. S. Bach
from the St John Passion
(text adapted from several sources)
LOVE’S LOYALTY
Ah, great King, great throughout the ages,
how can I sufficiently make known this fidelity of yours?
No human heart or mind could think
of a gift worthy of you.
With my poor faculties I could never experience
anything approaching the compassion you feel.
What can I do then to repay you
for your goodness and mercy?
~ J. S. Bach
from the St John Passion
(text adapted from several sources)
THE PALM SUNDAY COLLECT
Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example
of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection.
ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS
Lord,
come with us as our guide
as we head for the land
you have promised us.
Give us, on our journey,
an uncomplaining spirit
& a persistence against all the odds,
that with cheerfulness we may go forward
even as the clouds lower
& the rough places grow rougher still.
MAY WE TASTE & SEE…
Transform, O Lord,
life’s little crumbs of comfort
& the commonplace crusts of everyday routine
that we may find in them
experiences to share,
a banquet spread by you.
WATER FROM THE ROCK
God,
who gave strength to Moses
to smite the rock
that the thirst of his people might be satisfied
& gave patience to Christ
that he might be ready to die
that his own might live,
give us that power
to long for that which you long for
& to act with you & for you persistently
until all the true needs of our world
are met & fulfilled.
BREAD FROM HEAVEN
With that deep hush subduing all
Our words and works that drown
The tender whisper of Thy call,
And noiseless let Thy blessing fall
As fell Thy manna down.
Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
Thy beauty of Thy peace.
Breathe through the hearts of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be numb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm!
~ J. G. Whittier
from “The Brewing of Soma”
EMPOWERED FOR LIFE’S RACE
O God,
we look to you
as our pace-setter,
challenging us to adopt
the tenacity of athletes
in our striving to press forward
in our daily lives.
But we look to you also, O Lord,
as the one who tends us & refreshes us
sustaining us with an energy
that comes from beyond our own powers.
Lord, give us this strength
now & always.
SUFFICIENT UNTO THE DAY
Father, you sent manna in the desert
just once a day,
& you taught us to pray
for daily bread
rather than an endless supply of it.
Teach us to seek
enough for our immediate needs,
not seeking enough to hoard
or some sort of everlasting insurance.
A COLLECT FOR PASSION SUNDAY
Most merciful God,
who by the death & resurrection
of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him
who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory.
PRAYING FROM PRISON
God of the day and of the night,
in me there is darkness,
but with you there is light.
I am alone,
but you will not leave me.
I am weak,
but you will come to my help.
I am restless,
but you are my peace.
I am in haste,
but you are the God of infinite patience.
I am confused and lost,
but you are eternal wisdom
and you direct my path; now and for ever.
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
THE NEW COMMANDMENT
God of love,
you have given us a new commandment
that we should love others
even as you love us,
the unworthy & the wandering:
give us in the time of our life here on earth
a mind forgetful of past ill will,
a pure conscience
& a heart to love our neighbours.
~ from the Coptic Liturgy of St Cyril
FOR ENCOURAGEMENT
Heavenly Father,
when we grow weary in well-doing
& falter in obeying your commands,
remind us you are near to us
offering a strength that is not our own
& an energy that springs from elsewhere:
so may we day by day
have renewed determination
& fresh inspiration
to help others upon the path
where patience & perseverance uphold us
step by step.
I WILL LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE HILLS
God, who from the bare rock of Sinai
spoke to Moses,
& who in the wilderness
sustained your people
not with bread but with your word:
may we in the rich plenty of our land,
in the overwhelming beauty
of our green & pleasant land
still hear your voice
and with delight & dutifulness
respond to your command.
FAIR EXCHANGE
Lord Jesus,
You are my righteousness,
I am your sin.
You took on you what was mine;
yet set on me what was yours.
You became what you were not,
that I might become what I was not.
~ Martin Luther
TO NO GRAVEN IMAGE…
O Lord, as thou by this commandment
hast delivered me from bowing myself
to stocks and stones,
so, dear Father, deliver me from all other
bowing myself after mine own will,
to mine own affections;
that I may have none other God in my heart but thee,
nor do service to any other, but only to thee,
and for thee, after thy word, as thou commands.
Oh! open mine eyes,
to see thy will in this thy gracious precept.
Give me a will to love it heartily, and a heart to obey it faithfully.
~ from John Bradford’s Godly Meditations in prison
A COLLECT FOR MOTHERING SUNDAY
God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
& on the cross
drew the whole human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that in joy and in sorrow
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal.
FOR THE EVE OF MOTHERING SUNDAY
Ever-loving God,
your care for us
is greater even
than a mother’s love for her child.
Teach us to value a mother’s love
& see in it an expressiopn of your grace,
that we may feel ever more deeply
your love for us.
~ A New Zealand Prayer Book
LET US PRAY
The Lord’s Prayer
may be committed to memory quickly,
but it is slowly learnt by heart.
~ Frederick Denison Maurice
Father, may we be quick to start praying
& slow to stop.
OUR JOURNEY’S GOAL
Bring us, O Lord God,
at our last awakening,
into the house and gate of heaven,
to enter into that gate and dwell in that house,
where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling,
but one equal light;
no noise nor silence
but one equal music;
no fears nor hopes
but one equal possession;
no ends nor beginnings
but one equal eternity;
in the habitations of thy Majesty and thy Glory,
world without end.
~ John Donne
HEARTENED
Within us our spirit sighs
knowing our inadequacies,
sensing how great our limitations are.
Within us may your life-giving Spirit move,
shaping our longings,
stirring our wills
& giving us that wider vision
which tells us that with you
nothing is impossible.
THE GREATER LONGING
Give me the enlarged desire,
And open, Lord, my soul,
Thy own fullness to require,
And comprehend the whole;
Stretch my faith’s capacity
Wider, and yet wider still
Then, with all that is in Thee
My soul forever fill!
~ Charles Wesley
THE BLESSING OF THE WATER
AT A BAPTISM…
Father, we give you thanks and praise
for your gift of water in creation;
for your Spirit, sweeping over the waters,
bringing light and life;
for your Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
baptized in the river Jordan.
We bless you for your new creation,
brought to birth by water and the Spirit,
and for your grace bestowed upon us your children,
washing away our sins.
May your holy and life-giving Spirit
move upon these waters.
Restore through them the beauty of your creation,
and bring those who are baptized
to new birth in the family of your Church.
Drown sin in the waters of judgement,
anoint your children with power from on high,
and make them one with Christ
in the freedom of your kingdom.
For all might, majesty, dominion and power
are yours,
now and for ever.
THE COLLECT
FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Almighty God,
whose most dear Son went not up to joy
but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory
before he was crucified:
mercifully grant that we,
walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other
than the way of life and peace.
BENEATH THE BRINE:
OUT OF THE DEPTHS HAVE I CALLED
Bitterness is an emotion
derived from a taste
rather than from a feeling or state of mind.
Wormwood, quinine and aloes are bitter.
More familiar to most,
the taste of beer or the rind of citrus fruits
are bitter to the taste.
Bitterness is a sharply penetrating sensation,
an acute perception that lacks the tang of acid
as well as the suffocating and repellent character
of the acrid.
When the Children of Israel left Egypt
and arrived at Marah,
they were unable to drink the water
because of its bitterness (Exodus 15 v 23).
The Hebrew term for bitterness is ‘marah.’
A bitter feeling, therefore,
is one that is akin to resentment
but possesses a sharply penetrating and persistent quality
of acute or sad dissatisfaction or hurt.
In Job 27 v 2 Job not declares the bitterness that controls him;
he names God as the agent of his embitterment.
But the energy that bitterness provides
will enable Job ultimately to declare his integrity.
His strongest expressions of hope emerge here.
When hope recedes, bitterness emerges.
The bitter person can only see the contours
of the pit into which they have descended.
But Job’s enduring bitterness
actually empowers his defiance
in the face of tragedy.
~ Bill Long
Lord, may we with Christ
pray both that the cup of bitterness
be taken away from us,
& yet at the same time
ask that you will steel our hearts
that we may be ready to drink from it.
THE LADY DAY COLLECT
We beseech you, O Lord,
pour your grace into our hearts,
that as we have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ
by the message of an angel,
so by his cross and passion
we may be brought to the glory of his resurrection.
FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS
It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No programme accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
~ Archbishop Oscar Romero
IN A TIME OF DISTRESS
Ringed with grief
may our so fragile planet
find itself circled too
with the composure of compassion
& the silent sympathy
that brings true bravery to birth.
SEEKING POWER FROM ELSEWHERE
Reverently I offer you praises each day
praying with awe that those faults I notice not
but which are transparent in eternity’s light
may be corrected
that I may be brought to follow the divine example
& to perform good works in the Way.
~ adapted from a Japanese prayer
to Kami-Dana
IN DARKNESS STILL AIMING FOR THE LIGHT
God of our fathers,
accept the labours of our frail lives,
that in this restless & violent world
~ where the struggle continues
in the search for authentic justice, peace,
& a safe home in your creation ~
we may be consecrated anew
in our imagination,
our commitment
& our readiness to sacrifice
ourselves for others.
~ based on a Congressional Prayer
A COLLECT FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
Almighty God,
you show to those who are in error
the light of your truth,
that they may return to the way of righteousness:
grant to all those who are admitted
into the fellowship of Christ’s religion,
that they may reject those things
that are contrary to their profession,
and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same.
FOR THE FEAST OF ST JOSEPH
O God,
the Creator of all things,
you have put into our hands
many tasks:
grant us your help
that with patience, perseverance & integrity
we may pursue our work
after the example of St Joseph
who toiled in the carpenter’s shop
& laboured loyally
to protect & uphold
the family committed to his charge.
~ based on a Benedictine Collect
THE RIGHTNESS OF REBELLION
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet,
as to be purchased at the price of chains or slavery?
Forbid it, Almighty God!
I know not what course others may take
but as for me:
give me liberty or give me death!
~ Patrick Henry
WARMING THE WORLD
Kindle in my heart within, O Lord,
a fire of love for my neighbour.
May the light of love shine out
to my foe,
my friend
& my kindred.
~ A Celtic Prayer
on kindling the fire
LENTEN DISCIPLINE
O Lord and Master of my life,
give me not the spirit of laziness,
despair, lust of power, and idle talk,
but give rather the spirit of sobriety,
humility, patience and love to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own transgressions
and not to judge my brother,
for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages.
~ St. Ephraim the Syrian
BY GOD’S GRACE WE CAN
Father,
we call to you
in the darkness of this world’s troubles.
Help us to trust your power
rather than our own,
to seek to do your will
rather than ours,
& to find our freedom
in your love alone.
LET MY PEOPLE GO
Grant us, O Lord,
the courage to follow your servant Moses
in meeting the forces of this world
& taking a stand come what may.
Then may we receive from you
the power found in your Son
to recognize when taking a stand
must also involve
making a sacrifice.
THE COLLECT FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ fasted
forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are,
yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves
in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness,
so may we know your power to save.
AFTER SHOCKS
Heavenly Father:
you have made this world
so full both of joy & danger.
As our prayers go out to those
whose lives are shattered today
by incomprehensible forces,
may we seek no false solace
& offer no synthetic sympathy.
Rather may we lend whatever support we can
to those who now,
with hard headed resolve
& firm hearted courage,
begin to reconstruct their lives.
LENTEN RECONSTRUCTION
O Lord,
the house of my soul is narrow;
enlarge it that you may enter in.
It is ruinous,
O repair it!
It displeases our sight.
I confess it, I know.
But who shall cleanse it,
to whom shall I cry but to you?
Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord,
and spare your servant from strange sins.
~ St. Augustine of Hippo
FOR A NEW START THIS LENT
O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore Thee,
a heart to delight in Thee,
to follow and enjoy Thee.
~ St. Ambrose of Milan
THE ASH WEDNESDAY COLLECT
Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness.
FOR A HAPPY & HOLY LENT
Father in Heaven,
the light of your truth bestows sight
to the darkness of sinful eyes.
May this season of repentance
bring us the blessing of your forgiveness
and the gift of your light.
~ International Committee on English in the Liturgy
(ICEL)
THE AMBASSADOR OF HAPPINESS
For as long as space endures
& for as long as living beings remain,
until then may I too abide
to dispel the misery of the world.
~ A Buddhist Prayer
APPROACHING LENT
Holy God
you know the disorder of our sinful lives:
set straight our crooked hearts,
& bend our wills
to love your goodness & your glory.
SEEKING TRUE LIBERATION
Give us the strength and determination
to help free our sisters and brothers around the world
from the chains of poverty.
Inspire us to challenge our leaders
to make debt relief and fighting poverty a priority,
and encourage us to provide relief and charity
in all possible ways.
FOR LIBYA
Sustain, O Lord,
in the hearts of those
who seek their country’s freedom
true courage & endurance;
& give wisdom to the leaders of the world
to act decisively & boldly
to give aid to the casualties of conflict
& to give hope to those
threatened by the brutality of those
determined at any cost
to cling on to their power.
