Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

From The Liturgy of the Hours:

Almighty God, every good thing comes from You. Fill our hearts with love for You, increase our faith, and by Your constant care protect the good You have given us. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect for the Tenth Sunday After Trinity from The Book of Common Prayer:

LET THY MERCIFUL EARS, O LORD, BE OPEN TO THE PRAYERS OF THEY HUMBLE SERVANTS; AND, THAT THEY MAY OBTAIN THEIR PETITIONS, MAKE THEM TO ASK SUCH THINGS AS SHALL PLEASE THEE; THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.

Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time

From The Liturgy of the Hours:

Father, help us to seek the values that will bring us lasting joy in this changing world. In our desire for what you promise make us one in mind and heart. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity from The Book of Common Prayer:

GRANT TO US, LORD, WE BESEECH THEE, THE SPIRIT TO THINK AND DO ALWAYS SUCH THINGS AS ARE RIGHT; THAT WE, WHO CANNOT DO ANY THING THAT IS GOOD WITHOUT THEE, MAY BY THEE BE ENABLED TO LIVE ACCORDING TO THY WILL; THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the Office of Morning Prayer from The Liturgy of the Hours:

Almighty and ever living God, your Spirit made us your children, confident to call you Father. Increase your Spirit within us and bring us to your inheritance. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity from The Book of Common Prayer:

LORD OF ALL POWER AND MIGHT, WHO ART THE AUTHOR AND GIVER OF ALL GOOD THINGS; GRAFT IN OUR HEARTS THE LOVE OF THY NAME, INCREASE IN US TRUE RELIGION, NOURISH US WITH ALL GOODNESS, AND OF THY GREAT MERCY KEEP US IN THE SAME; THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the Office of Morning Prayer from The Liturgy of the Hours:

Father of everlasting goodness, our origin and guide, be close to us and hear the prayers of all who praise you. Forgive our sins and restore us to life. Keep us safe in your love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity from The Book of Common Prayer:

O GOD, WHO HAST PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THEE SUCH GOOD THINGS AS PASS MAN'S UNDERSTANDING; POUR INTO OUR HEARTS SUCH LOVE TOWARD THEE, THAT WE, LOVING THEE ABOVE ALL THINGS, MAY OBTAIN THY PROMISES, WHICH EXCEED ALL THAT WE CAN DESIRE; THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the Liturgy of the Hours:

GOD OUR FATHER AND PROTECTOR, WITHOUT YOU NOTHING IS HOLY, NOTHING HAS VALUE. GUIDE US TO EVERLASTING LIFE BY HELPING US TO USE WISELY THE BLESSINGS YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THE WORLD. WE ASK THIS THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.

Collect for the Fifth Sunday After Trinity From The Book of Common Prayer:

Grant, O Lord, we beseech Thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve Thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Proper Christian Response to the Death of the Enemy

"Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions to this end," Father Lombardi said.

"In the face of a man's death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred."

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican Spokesman

Prayer For our Enemies
"O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (1979 B.C.P.).

A Prayer to be said before a battle:

O MOST powerful and glorious Lord God, the Lord of hosts, that rulest and commandest all things; Thou sittest in the throne judging right, and therefore we make our address to thy Divine Majesty in this our necessity, that thou wouldest take the cause into thine own hand, and judge between us and our enemies. Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come and help us; for thou givest not alway the battle to the strong, but canst save by many or by few. O let not our sins now cry against us for vengeance; but hear us thy poor servants begging mercy, and imploring thy help, and that thou wouldest be a defence unto us against the face of the enemy. Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayer with respect to the enemy:

THOU, O Lord, art just and powerful: O defend our cause against the face of the enemy.
O God, thou art a strong tower of defence to all who fly unto thee: O save us from the violence of the enemy.
O Lord of hosts, fight for us, that we may glorify thee.
O suffer us not to sink under the weight of our sins, or the violence of the enemy.
O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thy Name's sake. Amen.

(1789 B.C.P.)

Thanksgiving after a Victory.
A Psalm or Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving.

IF the Lord had not been on our side, now may we say; if the Lord himself had not been on our side, when men rose up against us;
They had swallowed us up quick, when they were so wrathfully displeased at us.
Yes, the waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul; the deep waters of the proud had gone over our soul.
But praised be the Lord, who hath not given us over as a prey unto them.
The Lord hath wrought a mighty salvation for us.
We got not this by our own sword, neither was it our own arm that saved us; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto us.
The Lord hath appeared for us; the Lord hath covered our heads, and made us to stand in the day of battle.
The Lord hath appeared for us; the Lord hath overthrown our enemies, and dashed in pieces those that rose up against us.
Therefore not unto us, O Lord, not unto us; but unto thy Name be given the glory.
The Lord hath done great things for us; the Lord hath done great things for us, for which we rejoice.
Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord, from this time forth for evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
(1882 B.C.P.)

First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which Your son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when He shall come again in His glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through Him who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(Source: 1979 BCP p. 211).

Memorial Day

Almighty God, we commend to Your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with Your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of Your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Source 1979 BCP p. 823)

O Lord God of Hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the soldiers of this country. Support them in the day of battle, and in time of peace keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Source 1928 BCP p. 41)

O Almighty God, the supreme Governor of all things, whose power no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners, and to be merciful to those who truly repent; Save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee, from the hands of our enemies; that we, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, to glorify thee, who art the only giver of all victory; through the merits of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Source 1928 BCP p. 41)

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad Your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever. Amen.
(Source 1979 BCP p. 815)

Trinity Sunday

Almighty and everlasting God, You have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see You in Your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(Source: 1979 BCP p. 228).

Palm Sunday

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon Him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of His great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of His suffering, and also share in His resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Source: 1979 BCP p. 219)

Jesus Wept

"Jesus wept." John 11:35

For my friends Franklin and Angie Hayes whose daughter is missing in Haiti.

"O MERCIFUL FATHER, WHO HAS TAUGHT US IN THY HOLY WORD THAT THOU DOST NOT WILLINGLY AFFLICT OR GRIEVE THE CHILDREN OF MEN: LOOK WITH PITY UPON THE SORROWS OF THY SERVANTS FOR WHOM OUR PRAYERS ARE OFFERED. REMEMBER THEM, O LORD, IN MERCY, NOURISH THEIR SOULS WITH PATIENCE, COMFORT THEM WITH A SENSE OF THY GOODNESS, LIFT UP THY COUNTENANCE UPON THEM, AND GIVE THEM PEACE; THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN."

(Source: 1979 B.C.P., page 831).

Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom; Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

(Source: 1979 Book of Common Prayer).

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Almighty God, by whose providence thy servant John the Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Savior by preaching repentance: Make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for truth's sake; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

(Source: Book of Common Prayer).