Three Prayers from the Precationes
Author: Unknown
Date: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Prayer to the Father

Most indulgent Father, who dwellest in the height of heights, hear thou the vows of thy family, exiled here on earth, whom thou by thy ineffable kindness hast made worthy to be called thy children, and upon whom by the most precious gift of thy spirit thou hast bestowed a pledge, so that with reverent faith they might dare to cry to thee, Abba, father: We pray thee that thy worshipful name might so shine forth throughout the world, that just as in that heavenly city thou only art the glory of all, so on earth none boast of you, but, being mindful of thy unmerited bounty, in thee might all be glorified, who art the sole true glory.

And because of our inconstant and difficult strife with the world, with Satan and his ministers, and with this flesh which we do bear about us, we with our sighs pray thee that thy kingdom come: so that just as in heaven all bow down fearfully before thy majesty, so may thy spirit govern our minds, acknowledging thee to be the king of all kings, than whom nothing is able to be greater or better.

And, just as in thy palace there is no rebellion, so might all mortals, when they have forsworn with their whole heart all human desires, in riches and in adversity, in life and in death, obey thy royal will, knowing certainly that thou alone are able to wish what is best and because of this a thing is best because it pleaseth thee. Thou, best Father, hast willed that thy will be known and expressed to us through the divine scriptures. But none is capable of fulfilling thy commands, except thou dost grant it, and by thy ineffable mercy thou wilt be mindful of how clumsy we are to do good.

And because, according to the teaching of thy Son, we should be in no way mindful of the future, and so we do wholly depend upon the providence of a most generous father, give us this day by thy judgment what the necessity of this life demandest. But before all things, because, according to thy most charitable servant Paul, thou art a father in thy spirit, feed thou our hearts with spiritual food, whether the need is of milk for the weak in spirit, or of solid food for the stouter hearts. But the bread of life is bestowed through the study of thy holy scriptures and the grace of thy spirit, through which, by daily virtuous progress approaching our inward selves, we increase in thee, until we mature into the strength and measure of the fullness of thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ. Through thy word didst thou create us, though we were naught, and through the same word didst thou make us born unhappily from old Adam, and by that same word didst thou nurture and enliven those whom thou created. For here is that heavenly bread, here that new wine, by which all the saints perpetually and joyfully manifest the spirit, who praise thee and dwell in thy house unto the ages of ages. Whose portion this is if thou shalt think it worthy to impart to thy children: their days and their fame and the estate of their worldly things shall lessen.

For although thou dost forgive us every fault through faith as a sacred reward, but yet because we bear about us this mortal flesh, and we carry the treasure of thy grace in earthenware vessels, daily do we by our human weakness sin, daily do we stand in need of thy mercy, which doth forgive us our faults, least we cut ourselves off from thy loving kindness, but we persevere in that peace, in which we are reconciled to thee through the blood of thine only-begotten Son; and equally may thou grant us that, just as thou dost mercifully put away all our sins, so in our turn may we, suffering daily hurts, nurture amongst us peace, concord, and charity. For he cannot make propitiation to thee, O God of peace, who hateth his neighbor.

But because so long as we are soldiers in thy tents, that malicious Grasper, from whose tyranny thou didst deliver us into liberty through thy Son Jesus, doth not lack all devices to carry us away, by which he would drag us back into his slavery, we pray thee that thou not deliver us destitute of thy protection into his hands, who buildeth up the damnation of our souls, but being kept safe through faith and charity in the communion of thy most gracious Son may we come to that life where there is no wickedness nor any peril of Satan. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Ghost

O Spirit worthy of adoration, who didst complete that almighty triad proceeding from the Father and the Son, equal in every respect to each, differing only in property of person, who by thy beneficence forgivest the sins of them that look to thee, who by thy holy breath dost purify the minds of all, who consolest the afflicted, who liftest up the mournful with chaste gladness, who makest the mists clear with thy light, who directest them that wander into all truth, who dost fire the lukewarm with the flame of thy charity, who joinest the factious together with the glue of thy peace, and who in sundry ways dost raise up and prosper whoever doth profess through the name of the Lord Jesus. By thy action all things live, which verily do live, O thou whose delights are to be meditated upon in hearts of simplicity, which thou thyself hast made worthy to be consecrated as thine own temple, so that under thy helmsmanship they might grow more and more unmindful of the affliction of the flesh, and the desire for heavenly life might swell up. May I by thy radiance pass through the gloomy desolation of this world, so that I am neither stained with the vices of Satan, nor snared by any errors that are dissonant from the inviolable truth, which the universal Church hath handed down to us by the inspiration of thy godhead, who with the Father and Son livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer in Springtime

Almighty Lord Jesus Christ, who makest all things new, who for us hast made this world most beautiful, and hast spangled the heavens with so many lights, that the day might be usable and the night be comfortable, with sundry seasons dost thou regulate the earth, which thou didst will to be the kind nurse of all animals and people, and, as thou art brought to life again, all things do now live again and confirm our hope of our resurrection which thou didst promise.

The meadow, formerly in mourning dress, with new grass grows green again. The grass is adorned with many different gems of flowers, the wheat-ears sprout, the buried seeds arise from their furrows, the once dead forests grow young with new leaves, and the sights of new flowers give us the hope of bounty. The sun himself with his rays doth increase his graciousness, and, wheresoever we should cast our eyes, the appearance of all nature, as if it were reborn, bespeaketh thy goodness towards the human race. When we were driven from paradise by our fault, because of thy goodness thou didst mitigate our deserved exile with so many consolations. Grant us that we, who have through baptism been reborn in thee, have put aside our old selves, and been made new creations, might never slip back to our old ways, but might grow strong in everlasting innocence by the pleasant breath of thy spirit, and that we might in a better day be adorned with flowers of virtue, bearing forth the fruit worthy of thy Good News, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost reignest forever and ever. Amen.

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Copyright 1996 by Chris Cudabac, all rights reserved. So watch yourself.