NINTH CENTURY PRAYERS
Reading edition
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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
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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 40 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
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