Category: Prayers and liturgy

The collect for today, the Feast of Saint George (d. c. 303), Soldier, Martyr, Patron Saint of England (source):

O God of hosts,
who didst so kindle the flame of love
in the heart of thy servant George
that he bore witness to the risen Lord
by his life and by his death:
grant us the same faith and power of love
that we, who rejoice in his triumphs,
may come to share with him the fullness of the resurrection;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Epistle: 2 St Timothy 2:8-10, 3:10-12
The Gospel: St John 15:1-7

Artwork: Vittore Carpaccio, St George and the Dragon, 1502-08. Oil on canvas, Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Venice.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collect for today, the Feast of Saint Anselm (1033-1109), Abbot of Le Bec, Archbishop of Canterbury, Doctor of the Church (source):

O everlasting God,
who gavest to thy servant Anselm
singular gifts as a pastor and teacher:
grant that we, like him,
may desire thee with our whole heart
and, so desiring, may seek thee
and, seeking, may find thee;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Epistle: Romans 5:1-11
The Gospel: St Matthew 11:25-30

A prayer of St Anselm

Lord Jesus Christ; Let me seek you by desiring you,
and let me desire you by seeking you;
let me find you by loving you,
and love you in finding you.

I confess, Lord, with thanksgiving,
that you have made me in your image,
so that I can remember you, think of you, and love you.

But that image is so worn and blotted out by faults,
and darkened by the smoke of sin,
that it cannot do that for which it was made,
unless you renew and refashion it.

Lord, I am not trying to make my way to your height,
for my understanding is in no way equal to that,
but I do desire to understand a little of your truth
which my heart already believes and loves.

I do not seek to understand so that I can believe,
but I believe so that I may understand;
and what is more,
I believe that unless I do believe, I shall not understand.

Source: The Oxford Book of Prayer, George Appleton (gen. ed.), 1985, 2002.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collect for today, The Octave Day of Easter, being The Sunday After Easter Day, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

Almighty Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification; Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may alway serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 St John 5:4-12
The Gospel: St John 20:19-23

Artwork: Duccio di Buoninsegna, Christ’s appearance behind locked doors (from Back Crowning of The Maestà), 1308-11. Tempera on wood, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Siena.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collect for today, Tuesday in Easter Week, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

For the Epistle: Acts 13:26-33
The Gospel: St Luke 24:36-48

Artwork: Duccio di Buoninsegna, Christ’s appearance when the apostles are at table (from Back Crowning of The Maestà), 1308-11. Tempera on wood, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Siena.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collect for today, Monday in Easter Week, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee, that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

For the Epistle: Acts 10:34-43
The Gospel: St Luke 24:13-35

Artwork: Rembrandt, The Supper at Emmaus, 1648. Oil on wood, Louvre, Paris.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collect for today, Easter-Day, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962) :

Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life: We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle: Colossians 3:1-11
The Gospel: St John 20:1-10

Artwork: Paolo Veronese, The Resurrection of Christ, c. 1570. Oil on canvas, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collect for today, Easter Even, or Holy Saturday, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

Grant, O Lord, that as we are baptized into the death of thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, so by continual mortifying our corrupt affections we may be buried with him; and that, through the grave, and gate of death, we may pass to our joyful resurrection; for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rose again for us, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 St Peter 3:17-22
The Gospel: St Matthew 27:57-66

Artwork: Fra Angelico, The Lamentation over the Dead Christ (San Marco Altarpiece), 1438-40. Tempera on panel, Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collects for today, Good Friday, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

Almighty God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all estates of men in thy holy Church, that every member of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may truly and godly serve thee; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Epistle: Hebrews 10:1-25
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St John
The Gospel: St John 18:33-19:37

Artwork: Veit Stoss, Crucifixion (High Altar of St Mary), 1477-89. Wood, Church of St Mary, Cracow.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collects for today, Thursday in Holy Week, commonly called Maundy Thursday, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962)

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also he made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, who in a wonderful sacrament hast left unto us a memorial of thy passion: Grant us so to reverence the holy mysteries of thy Body and Blood, that we may ever know within ourselves the fruit of thy redemption; who livest and reignest with the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 Corinthians 11:23-29
The Continuation of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Luke
The Gospel: St Luke 23:1-49

Artwork: Tilman Riemenschneider, The Last Supper (detail from Holy Blood Altar), 1501-02. Limewood, Church of Sankt Jakob, Rothenburg.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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The collect for today, Wednesday in Holy Week, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant, that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: Hebrews 9:15-28
The Beginning of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Luke
The Gospel: St Luke 22:-1-71

Artwork: Giotto di Bondone, The Kiss of Judas (Scenes from the Life of Christ), 1304-06. Fresco, Cappella Scrovegni, Padua.

c/p: Nova Scotia Scott

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