holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Strengthen and confirm me, O Lord, by Thy Cross, on the rock of faith, that my mind be not shaken by the attacks of the enemy. For Thou alone art holy.

Thou knowest, O Lord, how many and great are my sins, Thou knowest how often I sin, from day to day, from hour to hour, in the things I do and the things I leave undone. No more, O Lord, no more, O Lord my God, will I provoke Thee; no more shall my desire be for anything but Thee, for Thou alone art truly lovable. And if again I offend in anything, I humbly beseech Thee of Thy mercy to grant me strength to find favour again in Thy sight and to live in a manner more pleasing to Thee. Amen.

—Theodore Studita

NINTH CENTURY PRAYERS

For Unity

O God the Father, origin of Divinity, good beyond all that is good, fair beyond all that is fair, in whom is calmness, peace, and concord; do Thou make up the dissensions which divide us from each other, and bring us back into a unity of love, which may bear some likeness to Thy divine nature. And as Thou art above all things, make us one by the unanimity of a good mind, that through the embrace of charity and the bonds of affection, we may be spiritually one, as well in ourselves as in each other; through that peace of Thine which maketh all things peaceful, and through the grace, mercy, and tenderness of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

—Dionysius of the Syrian Jacobite Church

For Help

O Thou who art the everlasting Essence of things beyond space and time and yet within them; Thou who transcendest yet pervadest all things, manifest Thyself unto us, feeling after Thee, seeking Thee in the shades of ignorance. Stretch forth Thy hand to help us, who cannot without Thee come to Thee; and reveal Thyself unto us, who seek nothing beside Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

—John Scotus Erigena

For Strength and Guidance

Lord God Almighty, shaper and ruler of all creatures, we pray Thee for Thy great mercy, that Thou guide us better than we have done, towards Thee, and guide us to Thy will, to the need of our soul, better than we can ourselves. And steadfast our mind towards Thy will and to our soul’s need. And strengthen us against the temptations of the devil, and put far from us all lust, and every unrighteousness, and shield us against our foes, seen and unseen. And teach us to do Thy will, that we may inwardly love Thee before all things, with a pure mind. For Thou art our maker and our redeemer, our help, our comfort, our trust, our hope; praise and glory be to Thee now, ever and ever, world without end. Amen.

—Alfred the Great

An Acknowledgment of God’s Supremacy

O Thou who art the Father of that Son which hast awakened us, and yet urgest us out of the sleep of our sins, and exhortest us that we become Thine, to Thee, Lord, we pray, who art the supreme truth, for all truth that is, is from Thee. Thee we implore, O Lord, who art the highest wisdom, through Thee are wise, all those that are so. Thou art the supreme joy, and from Thee all have become happy that are so. Thou art the highest good, and from Thee all beauty springs. Thou art the intellectual light, and from Thee man derives his understanding. To Thee, O God, we call and speak. Hear us, O Lord, for Thou art our God and our Lord, our father and our creator, our ruler and our hope, our wealth and our honour, our home, our country, our salvation, and our life; hear, hear us, O Lord. Few of Thy servants comprehend Thee, but at least we love Thee—yea, love Thee above all other things. We seek Thee, we follow Thee, we are ready to serve Thee; under Thy power we desire to abide, for Thou art the Sovereign of all. We pray Thee to command us as Thou wilt; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord. Amen.

—Alfred the Great

For Forgiveness

We implore the mercy of Thy Majesty, that it may please Thee to give to us Thy servants, pardon of our sins, that we, being delivered from all the bonds of the enemy, may cleave to Thy commandments with our whole heart, and evermore love Thee alone, with all our strength, and one day be counted worthy to attain to the sight of Thy blessedness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

—Old Rheims Manuscript

TENTH CENTURY PRAYERS

Benediction

May our Lord Jesus Christ be near us to defend us, within us to refresh us, around us to preserve us, before us to guide us, behind us to justify us, above us to bless us, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, God for evermore. Amen.

—Anonymous

For a Birthday

We beseech Thee, Lord, open Thy heavens; from thence may Thy gifts descend to him. Put forth Thine own hand from heaven and touch his head. May he feel the touch of Thy hand, and receive the joy of the Holy Spirit, that he may remain blessed for evermore. Amen.

—Ethelwold of York

Confession and Prayer for Forgiveness

O Lord, O King, resplendent on the citadel of heaven, all hail continually; and of Thy clemency upon Thy people still do Thou have mercy.

Lord, Whom the hosts of cherubim in songs and hymns with praise continually proclaim, do Thou upon us eternally have mercy.

The armies aloft, O Lord, do sing high praise to Thee, even they to whom the seraphim reply, “do Thou have mercy.”

O Christ, enthroned as King above, whom the nine orders of angels in their beauty praise without ceasing, deign Thou upon us, Thy servants, ever to have mercy.

O Christ, whom Thy one only Church throughout the world doth hymn, O Thou to whom the sun, the moon, and stars, the land and sea, do service ever, do Thou have mercy.

O Christ, those holy ones, the heirs of the eternal country, one and all with utter joy proclaim Thee in a most worthy strain: do Thou have mercy upon us.

O Lord, O gentle Son of Mary free, O King of Kings, blessed Redeemer, upon those who have been ransomed from the power of death, by Thine own blood, ever have mercy.

O noblest unbegotten, yet begotten Son, having no beginning of age, yet without effort (in the weakness of God) excelling all things, upon this Thy congregation in Thy pity, Lord have mercy.

O Sun of Righteousness, in all unclouded glory, supreme dispenser of justice, in that great day when Thou shalt strictly judge all nations, we earnestly beseech Thee, upon This Thy people, who here stand before Thy presence, in Thy pity, Lord, then have mercy upon us. Amen.

—Dunstan of Canterbury

Dying Words

Glory be to Thee, Almighty Father, who hast given to them that fear Thee the heavenly bread of life, that we may be mindful of the marvels which Thou hast wrought upon the earth, by sending us Thy only begotten