SEVENTH CENTURY PRAYERS
Reading edition
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A Litany on the Passion
Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, grant pardon, grant remission:
And have mercy graciously.
Thou who, coming to save the world, wert brought to judgment, when Thou comest as Judge, deliver us not up with the ungodly:
And have mercy graciously.
Thou, who wert hung upon the Cross, bear on Thy shoulders the death due to our guilt:
And have mercy graciously.
Thou who didst once suffer for the ungodly, and diest no more, mortify our vices in us, and heal us by the wound of the Cross:
And have mercy graciously.
That in the judgment Thy face may not be turned on us for punishment, but may shine on us with pardon:
And have mercy graciously. Amen.
—Mozarabic Breviary[1]
A Litany on the Passion
O good Shepherd, who didst lay down Thy life for the sheep, remember us:
Be propitious, and have mercy upon us.
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O everlasting Power and Wisdom of the most high God, Thou Word of the Father, remember us:
Be propitious, and have mercy upon us.
O Thou Maker of the world, the Life of all, the Lord of angels, remember us:
Be propitious, and have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, who for us wert led as a sheep to the slaughter, remember us:
Be propitious, and have mercy upon us.
O Thou who wert seized, thou guiltless, buffeted, given over to robbers, remember us:
Be propitious, and have mercy upon us.
Thou who alone hast by Thy death overcome the death of our guilt, remember us:
Be propitious, and have mercy upon us. Amen.
—Mozarabic Breviary
A Litany for Forgiveness
We cry to Thee, O Lord, do Thou have mercy upon us:
And grant forgiveness.
O King of heaven, and everlasting Lord, receive the prayers which we pour forth:
And grant forgiveness.
Visit the sick—bring forth captives, help the widow and the orphan:
And grant forgiveness.
We have sinned and have departed from Thee, do Thou, who art the Redeemer of all, save us:
And grant forgiveness.
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Have mercy on the penitent, and wash away the stains of sin:
And grant forgiveness. Amen.
—Mozarabic Breviary
A Litany of Repentance
Turn away, O Lord, the fierceness of Thy wrath, and in pity spare Thy people:
And have mercy.
Grant a favourable and speedy answer to the prayers of all, we beseech Thee:
And have mercy.
Do Thou, O Christ, look upon our groanings, loose the bands of death, and grant us life:
And have mercy.
Behold our tears—consider our sighs, and now at length in pity forgive our sins:
And have mercy.
Though none of us be worthy to be heard, do Thou, O Christ, for Thine own self help us:
And have mercy. Amen.
—Mozarabic Breviary
A Litany for Personal Dedication
O Lord Jesus Christ, who art the ineffable joy of Christians, take away from us whatever is not Thine, and make us Thine in all things.
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Breviary
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A Litany Against Temptation
Raise up Thy power, and come to deliver us, O Lord our God; that as we are overwhelmed by the storms of temptation so we may be raised up by the aid of Thy strength.
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Breviary
For Pardon
O God, the Son of God—so loving, yet hated—so forbearing, yet assaulted unto death—who didst show Thyself so gentle and merciful to Thy persecutors; grant that through the wounds of Thy passion our sins may be expiated, and as in Thy humiliation Thou didst suffer death for us, so now, being glorified, bestow on us everlasting brightness. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Illumination
O glorious, holy, almighty God, who being ever pitiful to the manifold wanderings of mankind, didst doubtless for this end guide the Magi, who dwelt in dark superstition, by the light of a star to Thy sacred cradle, that Thou mightest kindle all men who were walking in their own errors with the desire of knowing Thee; kindle us also, we pray Thee, with the saving ardour of love for Thee, that we who have already known 20 Thee by Thy gracious illumination, may be enabled to cleave to Thee for ever. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
Confession
Hear our prayer, O Lord, and listen to our groanings, for we acknowledge our iniquities, and lay open our sins before Thee. Against Thee, O God, have we sinned; to Thee we make our confession, and implore forgiveness. Turn Thy face again, O Lord, upon Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thine own blood. Spare us, we pray Thee, and vouchsafe pardon to our sins, and be pleased to extend to us Thy loving-kindness and Thy mercy. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
Daily Morning Prayer
Let our prayer, O Lord, come before Thee in the morning. Thou didst take upon Thee our feeble and suffering nature; grant us to pass this day in gladness and peace, without stumbling and without stain; that reaching the even-tide without any temptation, we may praise Thee the Eternal King: through Thy mercy, O our God, who art blessed and dost live, and govern all things, world without end. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
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For Firm Faith
Arise, O Lord, who judgest the earth; and as Thou dwellest in and possessest the faith of all nations, suffer us not to abide in darkness; and grant that we may not lay the foundations of our faith on the sand where the whirlwind may overthrow them, but be established on the rock which is steadfast in Thee. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Christ’s Companionship
Jesus, our Master, do Thou meet us while we walk in the way, and long to reach the Country; so that, following Thy light, we may keep the way of righteousness, and never wander away into the darkness of this world’s night, while Thou, who art the way, the truth, and the life, art shining within us; for Thine own name’s sake. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Joy and Peace in the Daily Walk
Grant us, O Lord, to pass this day in gladness and peace, without stumbling and without stain; that reaching the eventide victorious over all temptation, we may praise Thee, the eternal God, who art blessed, and dost govern all things, world without end. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
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“For the Peace of God, which Passeth All Understanding”
O God who art Peace everlasting, whose chosen reward is the gift of peace, and who hast taught us that the peacemakers are Thy children, pour Thy peace into our souls, that everything discordant may utterly vanish, and all that makes for peace be sweet to us for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Light and Love
Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, and the brightness of Thy Spirit illumine our inward souls, that He may kindle our cold hearts, and light up our dark minds; who abideth evermore with Thee in Thy glory. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Heavenly Light
O God, with whom is the well of life, and in whose light we see light, increase in us, we beseech Thee, the brightness of divine knowledge, whereby we may be able to reach Thy plenteous fountain; impart to our thirsting souls the draught of life, and restore to our darkened minds the light from heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
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For the Church
Hear us, O God of our salvation, Thou hope of all the ends of the earth, and in Thy strength, set fast as the mountains, the outposts of Thy power, and strongholds of lofty virtues. On Thee we rely for gifts of aspiration, whereby to ascend to the summit of all blessedness; that Thy Church, as it extends to all corners of the world, may soar in faith, may rest in hope, and rise to the full height of charity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
Christmas
O God, to whom glory is sung in the highest, while on earth peace is proclaimed among men of goodwill; grant that same goodwill to us Thy servants; cleanse us from evil, and give peace to all Thy people; through Thy mercy, O blessed Lord God, who dost live and govern all things, world without end. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Rightful Recognition of God, “The Giver of All Good Things”
O God, who, by making the evening to succeed the day, hast bestowed the gift of repose on human weakness, grant, we beseech Thee, that while we enjoy those timely blessings we may 24 acknowledge Him from whom they come, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Sanctification
O Christ our God, who wilt come to judge the world in the manhood which Thou hast assumed, we pray Thee to sanctify us wholly, that in the day of Thy coming our whole spirit, soul, and body may so revive to a fresh life in Thee, that we may live and reign with Thee for ever, to Thine honour and glory; who with the Father and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, ever one God. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
Repentance
Let Thy Spirit, O Lord, come into the midst of us, and washing us with the pure water of repentance, prepare us to be always a living sacrifice unto Thee; who livest and reignest, ever world without end. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Direction
May the infinite and glorious Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, direct our life in good works, and after our passage through this world, grant to us eternal rest with the 25 righteous. Grant this, O Eternal and Almighty God. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For the Sick and Suffering
O Christ our Lord, who art the Physician of salvation, grant unto all who are sick the aid of heavenly healing. Look upon all faithful people who are sick and who love to call upon Thy name, and take their souls into Thy keeping, and vouchsafe to deliver them from all sickness and infirmity; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For New Year
O Thou who art ever the same, grant us so to pass through the coming year with faithful hearts, that we may be able in all things to please Thy loving eyes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For the Holy Spirit
O Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who with the Father and the Son abidest one God, descend this day into our hearts, that while Thou makest intercession for us, we may with full confidence call upon our Father; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
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For Perseverance
Look upon us and hear us, O Lord our God; and assist those endeavours to please Thee which Thou Thyself hast granted to us; as Thou hast given the first act of will, so give the completion of the work; grant that we may be able to finish what Thou hast granted us to wish to begin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Guidance and Protection
Be Thou, O Lord, our protection, who art our redemption; direct our minds by Thy gracious presence, and watch over our paths with guiding love; that among the snares which lie hidden in the path wherein we walk, we may so press onwards with hearts fixed on Thee, that by the track of faith we may come to be where Thou wouldest have us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
For Rulers and the Nations
O heavenly Father, we bend the knee before Thee on behalf of all kings, princes, and governors of this world, beseeching Thee to grant unto them by Thy inspiration, to rule in righteousness, to rejoice in peace, to shine in piety, and to labour for the well-being of the people committed unto them, so that, by the rectitude of 27 the government, all faithful people may live without disturbance in the knowledge of Thee, and labour without hindrance for Thy glory. Amen.
—Mozarabic Liturgy
At Evening
O Lord God, the Life of mortals, the Light of the faithful, the Strength of those who labor, and the Repose of the dead, grant us a tranquil night free from all disturbance; that after an interval of quiet sleep, we may, by Thy bounty, at the return of light, be endued with activity from the Holy Spirit, and enabled in security to render thanks to Thee. Amen.
—Mozarabic Sacramentary
Litany for True Worship
O God, who hast bidden us to worship Thee in spirit and in truth, shadow us with the power of Thy Holy Spirit—let Thy mercy and the promised grace of Thy salvation come upon us, that our prayer may be directed unto Thee by Him, through whom we believe our sins to be forgiven.
We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord. Amen.
—Mozarabic Sacramentary
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Good Friday
Today, O good Jesus, for us Thou didst not hide Thy face from shame and spitting. Today, Jesus our Redeemer, for us Thou wast mocked, buffeted by unbelievers, and crowned with thorns. Today, O good Shepherd, Thou didst lay down Thy life on the Cross for the sheep, and wast crucified with robbers, and hadst Thy sacred hands nailed through. Today Thou wast laid in the guarded sepulchre, and the saints burst open their tombs. Today, O good Jesus, put an end to our sins, that on the day of Thy resurrection we may joyfully receive Thy holy body, and be refreshed with Thy sacred blood. Amen.
—Mozarabic Sacramentary
Easter
The Day of Resurrection has dawned upon us, the day of true light and life, wherein Christ, the life of believers, arose from the dead. Let us give abundant thanks and praise to God, that while we solemnly celebrate the day of our Lord’s resurrection, He may be pleased to bestow on us quiet peace and special gladness; so that being protected from morning to night by His favoring mercy, we may rejoice in the gift of our Redeemer. Amen.
—Mozarabic Sacramentary
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For Spiritual Illumination
Hear us, O never-failing Light, Lord our God, our only light, the fountain of light, the light of Thine angels, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, and of all intelligent beings; who hast created the light of Thy saints. May our souls be lamps of Thine, kindled and illuminated by Thee. May they shine and burn with the truth, and never go out in darkness and ashes. May we be Thy house, shining from Thee, shining in Thee; may we shine and fail not; may we ever worship Thee; in Thee may we be kindled, and not be extinguished. Being filled with the splendor of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, may we shine forth inwardly; may the gloom of sins be cleared away, and the light of perpetual faith abide with us. Amen.
—Mozarabic Sacramentary
A Good Example
Make us, O Lord, to flourish like pure lilies in the courts of Thine house, and to show forth to the faithful the fragrance of good words, and the example of a Godly life, through Thy mercy and grace. Amen.
—Mozarabic Sacramentary
Evening
O blessed Spirit of Truth, Thou who searchest the heart and triest the inmost thoughts, bring, 30 I pray Thee, my sins to my remembrance, and grant me light to see and find them out. Strengthen me also with courage to confess them truly, hiding nothing, excusing nothing, keeping back nothing in my heart; that I may, of Thy mercy, obtain pardon and entire absolution; and, thus healed, may arise and sin no more, through the merits and for the sake of Jesus Christ, my Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
—Mozarabic Sacramentary
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