Prayers before a journey

These prayers, collectively referred to as the “Itinerary” (sound familiar?), may be offered privately or as a group when setting out on a journey.

V. X In the Name of God.

R. Amen.

Antiphon

May the Almighty and merciful Lord direct us into the way of peace and prosperity, and may the Angel Raphael go with us on the way, that we may return to our home in peace, joy, and safety.

The Song of Zechariah Benedictus Dominus Deus (Luke 1: 68 79)

X Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *

   he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *

   born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old,

that he would save us from our enemies, *

   from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *

   and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *

   to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship him without fear, *

   holy and righteous in his sight

   all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *

   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

To give people knowledge of salvation *

   by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *

   the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the

            shadow of death, *

   and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

   as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.

Antiphon

May the Almighty and merciful Lord direct us into the way of peace and prosperity, and may the Angel Raphael go with us on the way, that we may return to our home in peace, joy, and safety.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

            Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

   hallowed be thy Name,

   thy kingdom come,

   thy will be done,

      on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

   as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

   but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

V. Send us help from your sanctuary.

R. And strengthen us out of Zion.

V. Be unto us, O Lord, a strong tower.

R. Let the enemy have no advantage over us.

V. Blessed be the Lord day by day.

R. May the God of our salvation make our journey safe.

V. Show us you ways, O Lord.

R. And teach us your paths.

V. O that my ways were made so direct.

R. That I might keep your statues.

V. The crooked shall be made straight.

R. And the rough places plain.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come to you.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And also with you.

Let us pray.

(Any or all of these prayers may be offered)

O God, who made the children of Israel pass on dry ground through the midst of the sea, and who by the leading of a star opened to the Magi the way to yourself: grant us, we pray, a good journey and calm weather, that, attended by your holy Angel, we may safely reach the place we go, and happily attain the haven of eternal salvation.; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in all our supplications and prayers, and dispose the way of your servants towards the attainment of everlasting salvation: that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be defended by your most gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, we pray you would grant your servants to walk in the way of salvation: that they may attain unto him whom blessed John the Forerunner foretold, your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [in particular _____________]; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; accompany them with an angel of peace and an angel of blessing; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

V. Let us go forth in peace.

R. X In the Name of the Lord. Amen.

Praying for the State, the Church, and Others

One of the main reasons I work on this blog is to get various traditional Anglican prayer tools “out there” in circulation again. While there are many new prayers being written, and a whole host of trial/provisional/supplemental “liturgies” being drafted and flung around in the contemporary Church, I often find that when I introduce people to the classical prayer resources, they are amazed that something so useful has been kept so hidden. 

It is my belief that, eventually, we are going to have to stop running from our own tradition and begin to engage it in a more positive, organic manner. Much that is good has been forgotten and should be recovered. I hope that these and other tools found on this blog for a grounded, rich prayer life will be found useful when that time comes.

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Below are prayers that were once part of Morning and Evening Prayer in the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer. In the current (1979) U.S. version of the BCP, they have been moved to the “Prayers and Thanksgivings” section, which while making sense has also tended to bury them, obscuring their value.

The Daily Office provides for various kinds of intercessions and thanksgivings following the Lord’s Prayer/Suffrages/Collects near the end of the service. While there are many options available in the Prayer Book and beyond for this, I often find it helpful to return to these earlier prayers, especially in the summer. They are extremely well-written, bear repeated use, and open many doors for reflection and action in Christian life.

The first prayer is for our leaders and for all Civil Authority, which Holy Scripture enjoins us to pray for as Christians. In our partisan day, I think many fail to take this important duty in prayer seriously. In its current state, our nation certainly could use it. 

The second prayer is for the Church, something often taken for granted but intensely necessary as members of a common and interrelated Body. No Christian's prayers are complete without prayer for the Church (not merely the institution, but the Church in its widest sense).

The third is a form of intercession both for the Church to witness in authentic truth and love to the Gospel, and for the needs of others. 

Taken together, they address a wide variety of essential concerns in the Christian life. When praying them, say the prayers slowly and with attention; in the prayer for “All Sorts and Conditions,” space is made to bring to mind the specific concerns or people you wish to pray for. (I have cast this latter prayer in a slightly more modern idiom, for those wishing to use it in a Contemporary English setting). As with all ancient prayers, the focus is not on "tossing off" the prayer, but in a complete immersion in it, letting God transform us even as we offer the prayer to him.

The entire set may be concluded with the General Thanksgiving, the Prayer of Saint Chrysostom, and the Grace as found in the 1979 BCP.  It makes a rich, nuanced, and balanced “diet” of intercession as we respond to Our Lord’s call to be a Priestly People.

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Traditional Language:

For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world:  We commend this nation to thy merciful care, that, being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell secure in thy peace.  Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of this State (or Commonwealth), and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.  Amen.

For Clergy and People

Almighty and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our bishops, and other clergy, and upon the congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace;  and, that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing.  Grant this, O Lord, for the honor of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

For All Sorts and Conditions of Men

O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; [especially those for whom our prayers are desired]; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions.  And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.

Contemporary Language

For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world:  We commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Providence, we may dwell secure in your peace.  Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of this State (or Commonwealth), and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.  Amen.

For Clergy and People

Almighty and everlasting God, from whom comes every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our bishops, and other clergy, and upon the congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of your grace;  and, that they may truly please you, pour upon them the continual dew of your blessing.  Grant this, O Lord, for the honor of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

For All Sorts and Conditions of People

O God, the creator and preserver of all, we pray for all sorts and conditions of people; that in your mercy you would make your ways known to them and your saving health to all nations. Especially we pray for your holy catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; [especially those for whom our prayers are desired]; that it may please you to comfort and relieve them according to their needs, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy outcome in all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.

Reflections on Commemorating Bishop Scott

Almighty and everlasting Father, by whose grace and power your servant Thomas Fielding Scott triumphed over hardships and sufferings to bring your good news to the people living in a new land.  Grant us, who now remember him with true thanksgiving the courage and devotion to gently and persistently share the new life that you give through the love of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

At its last Convention, the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon chose to make July 14^th of each year the annual commemoration of our first Bishop, Thomas Fielding Scott. Scott was not just another Bishop. He was a man of tremendous personal courage, skill, vision, and faithfulness.

This commemoration, currently locally observed and not yet part of the wider Episcopal Church’s calendar, is a good example of how the Episcopal Church remembers and celebrates those whose “heroic sanctity” serves as a model for all of us.

A local community or region discerns that a Christian known to many has lived a life worthy of being remembered by all. The local diocese or regional dioceses determine the validity of such claims and whether or not to place the commemoration on their local calendars. If so, a date for the commemoration is determined (often the date of the person’s “entrance into heaven” through death; but sometimes another appropriate date), a proper collect is drafted, scripture lessons selected, and a biography compiled. All of this is then accepted at Diocesan Convention.

 After a period of use on the local level, a diocese may then approach the wider Church (through appropriate governance committees and finally the General Convention) with the request that the commemoration be added to the National Church’s calendar. If the wider Church consents to this, the commemoration may then be officially used by anyone in the Church.

The proposed collect above deserves consideration and revision, in my opinion. It is a fine prayer that both recalls the person being commemorated and asks God for the grace to live holy lives based on Bishop Scott’s pattern. It uses language appropriate to the person and era being commemorated, and (perhaps often overlooked in the drafting of such prayers) it reads/prays aloud well. However, it uses language that has significant problems (I would think) for many Native Peoples. Oregon was not “a new land” to them, though it may have been for Euro-American settlers. I would suggest a re-write replacing “…a new land” with something like “the Oregon Country,” which was a geographical term used in that period that covered the area Bishop Scott served so well.

 

A fine overview of the bishops of our diocese may be found at the Diocesan web site here.

Remembering Christ in the Eucharist -- and God in our all our life

A Memorial of the Blessed Sacrament

To be used in daily prayers (at the conclusion of the Daily Office, especially on Thursdays), as a separate devotion, a devotion following communion, or when in the presence of the Reserved Sacrament.

Antiphon

O Sacred Banquet wherein Christ is received, the memory of his Passion is renewed; the mind is filled with grace and a pledge of future glory is given to us. (In Easter Season, add: Alleluia.)

V. Thou gavest them bread from heaven (ES: Alleluia)

R. Containing within itself all sweetness (ES: Alleluia)

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who in a wonderful Sacrament hast left unto us a memorial of thy passion: Grant us, we beseech thee, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of thy Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within ourselves the fruit of thy redemption; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

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This devotion is an example of something called a Memorial…a way of remembering some important aspect of the Christian faith in our prayer life. It recalls the privilege and blessing of participating in the Holy Mysteries of Christ’s Body and Blood. It is particularly connected to Sundays (The Lord’s Day, the Day of Resurrection, the day when Christians are called especially to celebrate the Eucharist as a gathered community of faith) and Thursdays (the day when the Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper).

This Memorial also bids us recollect the holiness of what we may, in our haste and lack of examination, come before in an unthinking manner. When we enter the Holy Temple of God, we must remember that we are coming into a place of consecrated, dedicated holiness and peace…not just another utilitarian “space.” Thus, it is our custom to genuflect or make a profound bow before the Blessed Sacrament  as an acknowledgement of the Presence of Christ in the Mysteries—and the truth that we who receive these Mysteries are to live lives worthy of Our Lord’s love, presence, and offering of his life for us. We then take this knowledge and purpose out with us as our Christian Mission.

Many modern American Christians, deeply conditioned by consumerism, have come to regard everything we see and use as so much “stuff,” implicitly rejecting the holiness of the Creation and the meaning of Christ’s Incarnation. Catholic Anglicanism, on the other hand, takes very seriously the holiness of Creation. This Memorial is but one tool in that vast array of resources for the “re-enchantment of the world” that can only happen when our scientific understanding of the universe is reunited with the revelation of God’s purpose and presence as made known in the Holy Scriptures and the sacramental life of Christ’s Body, the Church.

Pursing justice, confessing the truth...and dying for it

This day has been made holy by the passion of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. We are, therefore, not talking about some obscure martyrs. For their voice has gone forth to all the world and to the ends of the earth their message. These martyrs realized what they taught: they pursued justice, they confessed the truth, they died for it.

Saint Peter, the first of the apostles and a fervent lover of Christ, merited to hear these words: I say to you that you are Peter, for he had said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Christ said: And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. On this rock I will build the faith that you now confess, and on your words: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, I will build my Church. For you are Peter, and the name Peter comes from petra, the word for “rock,” and not vice versa. “Peter” comes, therefore, from petra, just as “Christian” comes from Christ.

As you are aware, Jesus chose his disciples before his passion and called them apostles: and among these almost everywhere Peter alone deserved to represent the entire Church. And because of that role which he alone had, he merited to hear the words: To you I shall give the keys of the kingdom of heaven. For it was not one man who received the keys, but the entire Church considered as one. Now insofar as he represented the unity and universality of the Church, Peter’s preeminence is clear from the words: To you I give, for what was given was given to all. For the fact that it was the Church that received the keys of the kingdom of God is clear from what the Lord says elsewhere to all the apostles: Receive the Holy Spirit, adding immediately, whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you retain, they are retained.

Rightly then did the Lord after his resurrection entrust Peter with the feeding of his sheep. Yet he was not the only disciple to merit the feeding of the Lord’s sheep; but Christ in speaking only to one suggests the unity of all; and so he speaks to Peter, because Peter is the first among the apostles. Therefore do not be disheartened, Peter; reply once, reply twice, reply a third time. The triple confession of your love is to regain what was lost three times by your fear. You must loose three times what you bound three times; untie by love that which your fear bound. Once, and again, and a third time did the Lord entrust his sheep to Peter.

Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed , their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching and their confession of faith.

From a sermon by St. Augustine of Hippo

Today’s feast is, historically, one of the great commemorations of the year. It celebrates two of the central figures in Apostolic Christianity, and reminds us both of the absolute centrality of the Apostolic Faith in the Church’s ministry and our role in knowing and sharing that faith today. The cult of consumerized Christianity has led in our day to a hyper-individualized religion, where Christians put the emphasis on their own opinions rather than on participation in the revealed truth of God. This, in turn, leads to paralysis in the Church’s witness, much as did Peter’s denials of Christ until the moment when Jesus released him from the shame and guilt by the side of the Sea of Galilee. The faith given Peter and Paul alone had the power to allow them to "pursue justice, confess the truth, and die for this truth," as St. Augustine so aptly put it. Whenever churches or individuals try to substitute anything--anything--for that faith, paralysis sets in and we become focussed on lesser, sinful things.

In every era it is the same: only by living in the authentic teaching of the Apostles does Christianity have the true “Good News” of Christ to share; and only that “Good News” has the power to work miracles of divine love in our world. Today celebrates that faith, that relationship, that love in the person of Sts. Peter and Paul…and our sharing in their company through baptism, the holy mysteries, the words of Scripture, and a right faith.

A note on this day falling on Friday: Historic Anglican and catholic practice always treats this as a feast day. The current BCP does not make this (or many other important Holy Days) an exception to the Friday devotion rule. It seems a strange omission for the Episcopal Church to fail to honor great Feasts with a relaxation of the usual Friday devotion. Perhaps it is a sign that few of those in leadership actually take the Prayer Book-mandated Friday devotion seriously enough to see the conflict. In any event, I would encourage returning to the ancient practice of treating this as a day for prayer, thanksgiving, and feasting.

Collect for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles

Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Making a "Spiritual Communion"

Spiritual Communion

When unable to attend the Holy Eucharist

The Book of Common Prayer reminds us that if one is unable to actually consume the consecrated bread and wine due to extreme sickness or disability, the desire is enough for God to grant all the benefits of communion. When being present at a celebration of the Eucharist is absolutely impossible, this act of prayer and meditation can provide the means by which you can associate yourself with the Eucharistic Action and open yourself to God's grace and blessing.

  

Blessed be GOD, X Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

Collect

Let the power of the Holy Spirit come upon me, O Lord, I pray you: to cleanse my heart and defend me from all adversities. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read the following lessons from scripture, or read the appointed lessons for the day

Epistle (Revelation 3:20)

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

The Gospel (St. John 15:5)

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

In your own words, pray for your needs, for those of others, for the peace of the world, and for the Church. After offering these intercessions, continue with the

Act of Contrition

O God, I confess my sin against you, the author of life and giver of all good things, and I humbly repent. Especially, I confess.... Forgive me for Jesus’ sake, and grant me the grace to walk in your ways hereafter. Amen.

Act of Reception

In union, dear Lord with the faithful at every altar of your Church where the Holy Mysteries of your blessed Body and Blood are being celebrated and received (and remembering particularly my own parish and those worshiping there), I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving for creation and for all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory (and particularly for the blessings given me...).

I believe that you are truly present to your people in the Holy Sacrament. And since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I pray you to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to you, and embrace you with all the affection of my soul. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.

    Our Father...

Come Lord Jesus, dwell with your servant in the fullness of your strength, in the perfection of your ways, and in the holiness of your spirit, and rule over every hostile power in the might of the Spirit, and to the glory of the Father. Amen.

The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life. Amen.

And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep my heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ my Lord: and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father X the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with me now and always. Amen.

Act of Praise and Thanksgiving

 X Blessed, praised, hallowed, and adored be Jesus Christ on his high throne of glory in heaven, in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar, and in the hearts of his faithful people. Amen.

                                                                                                               

(Based on various sources, esp. the new St. Augustine's Prayer Book)