peace, a pure mind, a right and honest heart, a good will, a holy conscience, spiritual strength, a life unspotted and unblamable; and after having manfully finished our course, may we be enabled happily to enter into Thy kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —Old Gallican Sacramentary.

A Table Grace

Abba, Father, fulfill the office of Thy Name towards Thy servants; do Thou govern, protect, preserve, sanctify, guide, and console us. Let us be so enkindled with love for Thee, that we may not be despised by Thee, O most merciful Lord, most tender Father; for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen. —Old Gallican Sacramentary.

Morning Prayer

We give thee hearty thanks for the rest of the past night, and for the gift of a new day, with its opportunities of pleasing thee. Grant that we may so pass its hours in the perfect freedom of thy service, that at eventide we may again give thanks unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —The Eastern Church.

A Table Grace

In the evening and morning and noonday we praise Thee, we thank Thee, and pray Thee, Master of all, to direct our prayers as incense before Thee. Let not our hearts turn away to words or thoughts of wickedness, but keep us from all things that might hurt us; for to Thee, O Lord, our eyes look up, and our hope is in Thee: confound us not, O our God; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —Eastern Church Vespers.

For Ministers

O God, great in power, unsearchable in understanding, wondrous in counsels towards the children of men, do Thou fill with the gift of Thy Holy Spirit those whom Thou dost will to undertake the degree of the priesthood that they may be worthy to stand before Thy holy altar unblamably, to announce the Gospel of Thy kingdom, to administer the Word of Thy Truth, to offer gifts and spiritual sacrifices unto Thee, and to renew Thy people in the laver of regeneration; that at the second coming of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, Thine only begotten Son, they may go forth to meet Him, and by the multitude of Thy mercies receive their reward; for Thy venerable and majestic Name is blessed and glorified. Amen. —Eastern Church Liturgy.

For Illumination

Shine into our hearts, O loving Master, by the pure light of the knowledge of Thyself, and open the eyes of our mind to the contemplation of Thy teaching, and put into us the fear of Thy blessed commandments; that trampling down all that is worldly, we may follow a spiritual life, thinking and doing all things according to Thy good pleasure. For Thou art our sanctification, and our illumination, and to Thee we render glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. —Eastern Church Liturgy.

Chapter IV
FOURTH CENTURY PRAYERS

For Charity

O God of love, Who hast given a new commandment through Thine only begotten Son, that we should love one another, even as Thou didst love us, the unworthy and the wandering, and gavest Thy beloved Son for our life and salvation; we pray Thee, Lord, give to us, Thy servants, in all time of our life on the earth, a mind forgetful of past ill-will, a pure conscience and sincere thoughts, and a heart to love our brethren; for the sake of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord and only Saviour. Amen. —Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril.

For Protection

Be gracious to our prayers, O merciful God, and guard Thy people with loving protection; that they who confess Thine only begotten Son as God, born in our bodily flesh, may never be corrupted by the deceits of the devil; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —Ambrose.

For Pardon

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 to enjoy Thee, for Christ’s sake. Amen. —Ambrose.

For Trust and Fuller Knowledge

Merciful Lord, the Comforter and Teacher of Thy faithful people, increase in Thy Church the desires which Thou hast given, and confirm the hearts of those who hope in Thee by enabling them to understand the depth of Thy promises, that all Thine adopted sons may even now behold, with the eyes of faith, and patiently wait for, the light which as yet Thou dost not openly manifest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —Ambrose.

For Salvation

O God, Who didst look on man when he had fallen down into death, and resolve to redeem him by the advent of Thine only begotten Son; grant, we beseech Thee, that they who confess His glorious Incarnation may also be admitted to the fellowship of Him their Redeemer; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —Ambrose.

For Freedom From Sin

O Lord, my Saviour, in whose power it is to remit sins, I beseech Thee say unto me, “Loose thee from thy chains, come out of the bonds of thy sins”; and when Thou sayest it, loose those cords of my errors wherewith I am entangled and bound; for, though I am the most wicked of all men, and to be abhorred by reason of my continuance in sins, yet when thou commandest, I shall be free from them. Amen. —Ambrose.

For Pardon

Lord Jesus Christ, who didst stretch out Thine hands on the Cross, and redeem us by Thy Blood, forgive me, a sinner, for none of my thoughts are hid from Thee. Pardon I ask, pardon I hope for, pardon I trust to have. Thou who art pitiful and merciful, spare and forgive me. Amen. —Ambrose.

For Purity

O Holy Spirit of God, very God, Who didst descend upon Christ at the River Jordan, and upon the Apostles in the upper chamber, we have sinned against heaven and before Thee; purify us again, we beseech Thee, with Thy Divine fire, and have mercy upon us; for Christ’s sake. Amen. —Nerses of Clajes.

Confession of Sin

O Thou that beholdest all things, we have sinned against Thee in thought, word, and deed; blot out our transgressions, be merciful to us sinners, and grant that our names may be found written in the book of life, for the sake of Christ Jesus our Saviour. Amen. —Nerses of Clajes.

For Protection

Lord Jesus Christ, Keeper and Preserver of all things, let Thy right hand guard us by day and by night, when we sit at home, and when we walk abroad, when we lie down and when we rise up, that we may be kept from all evil, and have mercy upon us sinners. Amen. —Nerses of Clajes.

A Prayer for Spiritual Blessings

Most high God, our loving Father, infinite in