The Prayer of Saint Patrick

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,

Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,

Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,

Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today

Through the strength of the love of cherubim,

In obedience of angels,

In service of archangels,

In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In the prayers of patriarchs,

In preachings of the apostles,

In faiths of confessors,

In innocence of virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today

Through the strength of heaven;

Light of the sun,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of the wind,

Depth of the sea,

Stability of the earth,

Firmness of the rock.

I arise today

Through God's strength to pilot me;

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's hosts to save me

From snares of the devil,

From temptations of vices,

From every one who desires me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone or in a multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and evil,

Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom,

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ shield me today

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that reward may come to me in abundance.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in the eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through a belief in the Threeness,

Through a confession of the Oneness

Of the Creator of creation.

early in the morning I cry to you.

O God,

early in the morning I cry to you.

.Help me to pray,

and to concentrate .my thoughts on you:

I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,

 But with you there is light;

I am lonely, but you do not leave me;

I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;

I am restless, but with you there is peace.

In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;

I do not understand your ways,

'but you know the way for me ...

Restore me to liberty,

And enable me so to live now

that I may answer before you and before me,

Lord, whatever this day may bring,

Your name be praised.

Amen.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945)

Oh, turn me, mold me, mellow me for use!

Oh, turn me, mold me, mellow me for use!


Pervade my being with Thy vital force,

That this else inexpressive life of mine

May become eloquent and full of power,

Impregnated with life and strength divine....

I cannot raise the dead, nor from this soil

'Pluck precious dust, nor bid the sleepers wake,

Nor still the storm, nor bend the lightning back,

Nor muffle up the thunder,

Nor bind the Evil One, nor bid the chain

Fall from creation's long-enfettered-limbs;

But I can live a life that tells on other lives, and makes

This world less full of evil and of pain-

A life, which like a pebble dropped at sea,

Sends its wide circles to a hundred shores.

Let such be mine! Creator of true life!

Thyself the life Thou givest, give Thyself,

That Thou mayst dwell in me, and I in Thee.

Amen.

Horatius Bonar n808 - 1887)

NIGHT PRAYER

Tired now, I go to rest,


Jesus, Savior, ever blest,

In Thy name I close mine eyes;

Watch Thou by me till I rise.

Thou my best and kindest friend

Thou wilt love me-till the end!

Let me love Thee more and more,

Always better than before.

Amen.

J. K. Wilhelm Loehe (1808 - 1872)

Jesus, You came not to be ministered unto

Jesus,

You came not to be ministered unto

but to minister.

Your ministry was your presence,

and it still is.

So we thank you for your presence

among us and within us.

Since we are most ourselves

when we are most attentive to you

and obey you,

Help us to go about our daily business

with your spirit

and to know that when we pray"

it is you praying within us.

So may we carry out our ministry

and yours.

Amen.

John B. Coburn (1914-

FATHER, FORGIVE

The hatred which divides nation

from nation, race from race,

class from class,

Father, forgive.

The covetous desires of men and

nations to possess what is not

their own,

Father, forgive.

The greed which exploits the

labors of men, and lays waste

the earth,

Father, forgive.

Our envy of the welfare and

happiness of others,

Father, forgive.

Our indifference to the plight of

the homeless and the refugee,

Father, forgive.

The lust which uses for ignoble

ends the bodies of men and

women,

Father, forgive.

The pride which leads us to trust

in ourselves and not in God,

Father, forgive.

Amen.

Coventry Cathedral (1962)

In me there is darkness,

In me there is darkness,


, But with you there is light;

I am lonely, but you do not leave me;

I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;

I am restless, but with you there is peace,

In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;

I do not understand your ways,

but you know the way for me...

Restore me to liberty,

And enable me so to live now

that I may answer before you and before me,

Lord; whatever this day may bring,

Your name be praised.

Amen.

Communion Hymn (Fifth Century)

Because for our sake you tasted gall, may the


Enemy's bitterness be killed in us.

Because for our sake you drank sour wine, may what

is weak in us be strengthened.

Because for our sake you Were spat upon, may we be

bathed in the dew of immortality.

Because for our sake you were struck with a rod, may

we receive shelter in the last.

Because for our sake you accepted a crown of thorns,

may we that love you be crowned with garlands

that never can fade.

Because for our sake you were wrapped in a shroud,

may we be clothed in your all-enfolding

strength.

Because you were laid in the new grave and the tomb,

may we receive renewal of soul and body.

Because you rose and returned to life, may we be

brought to life again...

Amen.

Communion Hymn (Fifth Century)

Byzantine Vespers

The Lord my Creator took me as dust from the earth,

and formed me into a living being, I

breathing into me the breath of life. . ) ,.

God honored me,

setting me as ruler upon earth over all things visible,

and made me companion of the angels.

But Satan the deceiver,

using the serpent as instrument,

enticed me by food- ,

patted me from the glory of God,

and gave me over to the earth and to the lowest depths

of the earth.

But in compassion, 0 Savior, call me back again!



o paradise, garden of delight and beauty,

dwelling-place made perfect by God,

unending gladness and eternal joy,

the hope of the prophets and the home of the saints:

By the music of your rustling leaves

beseech the-Creator of all to open to me the gates

which my sins have closed,

that I may partake of the Tree of Life

which was given me in the beginning. Amen.

You are love,

You are love,

and you see. all the suffering,

injustice, and misery,

which reign in this -world.

Have pity, we implore you,

on the work of your hands.

Look mercifully on the poor,

the oppressed, and all who are heavy laden

with error, labour and sorrow,

Fill our hearts with deep compassion

for those who suffer,

and hasten the corning of your kingdom

of justice and truth.

Amen.



Eugene Bersier (1831 - 1889)

Evening Prayer

Be off, Satan, from this door and from these four walls.

This is no place for you;

there is nothing for you to do here.

This is the place for Peter and Paul and the holy

gospel;

and this is where I mean to sleep, now that my

worship is done,

in the name of the father and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

Anonymous

Thou who guidedst Noah over the flood waves

Thou who guidedst Noah over the flood waves:

Hear us.

Thou who with thy word recalled Jonah from the deep:

Deliver us.

Thou who stretched forth thy hand to Peter as he sank:

Help us, 0 Christ.

Son of God, who didst marvellous things of old:

Be favourable in our day also. Amen.

Scottish Celtic Prayer

The seed is Christ's

The seed is Christ's,

The harvest is Christ's;

In the granary of God

May we be gathered.

The sea is Christ's,

The fishes are Christ's;

In the nets of God

May we all meet.

Celtic Prayers (c.450 - c.700)

O God-when I have food

O God-when I have food,

Help me to remember the hungry;

When I have work,

Help me to remember the jobless;

When I have a warm home,

Help me to remember the homeless;

When I am without pain,

Help me to remember those who suffer;

And remembering,

Help me to destroy my complacency,

And bestir my compassion.

Make me 'concerned enough to help,

By word and deed, those who cry out-

For what we take for granted. Amen.

Anonymous

Lord, we beseech you to help and defend us,

Lord, we beseech you to help and defend us,

Deliver the oppressed, pity the .poor,

uplift. those who have fallen,

be the portion of those in need,

return to your care those who have gone astray,

feed the hungry, strengthen the weak,

and break the chains of the prisoners. 11 , ' J '

May all people come to know that you only are God,

that Jesus Christ is your child,

and that we are your people and

the sheep of your pasture: Amen.



Clement of Rome (c.96)

As thou wast before

As thou wast before

At my life's beginning,

Be thou so again

At my journey's end.

As thou wast besides

At my' soul's shaping,

Father, be thou too

At my journey's close.

Amen.



Celtic Prayer

If any person is devout

 John Chrysostom (344 - 407)


If any person is devout and loves God, let him come

to this radiant triumphant feast.

If any person is a wise follower, let him enter

into the joy of his Lord, rejoicing.

If any have fasted long, let him now receive refreshment.

If any have labored from the first hour, let him today

receive his just reward.

If any came at the third hour, let him keep the feast

with thankfulness.

If any arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no

misgivings for he shall not be deprived.

If any delayed to the ninth hour, let him draw near,

fearing nothing.

If any have waited even until the eleventh hour,

let him not be alarmed at this tardiness.

For the Lord will accept the last even as the first.

Therefore, all of you, enter into the joy of your Lord.

Rich and poor together. hold high festival.

Diligent and heedless, honor this day.

Both you who have fasted, and you who did not fast,

, rejoice together today.

The table is full; all of you, feast sumptuously.

The calf is fatted; let no one go away hungry.

Enjoy the feast of faith; receive the riches of God’s mercy.

Let no one bewail his poverty, for the fullness

of the kingdom is revealed.

Let no one weep for his iniquities, for forgiveness

shines forth from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the savior's death has set us free.

He who was held prisoner by death has annihilated it.

By descending into death, he made death captive.

He angered it when it tasted of his flesh.

Isaiah saw this, and he cried:

Death was angered when it encountered you

in the lower regions.

It was angered, for it was defeated.

It was angered, for it was mocked.

It was angered, for it was abolished.

It was angered, for it was overthrown.

It was angered, for it was bound in chains.

It received a body and it met God face to face.

It took earth and encountered heaven.

It took that which is seen and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is your sting?

O Grave, where is your victory?

Christ is risen and you are overthrown.

Christ is risen and the devils have fallen.

Christ is risen and the angels rejoice.

Christ is risen and life reigns.

Christ is risen and not one dead remains in the grave.

For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first fruits

of those who have fallen asleep, and to him be glory and honor,

even to eternity. Amen.

Lord, we beseech you to help and defend us,

Lord, we beseech you to help and defend us,

Deliver the oppressed, pity the poor,

uplift those who have fallen,

be the portion of those in need,

return to your care those who have gone astray,

feed the hungry, strengthen the weak,

and break the chains of the prisoners. J '. '

May all people come to know that you only are God,

that Jesus Christ is your child,

and that we are your people and

the sheep of your pasture. Amen.

Clement of Rome (c.96)

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