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Prayer Texts: Introduction
Throughout the centuries, Christian communities have found certain prayers to be moving and powerful. These prayers gradually found their way into prayer services amongst the community of believers and got refined over time. Now, when we recite these prayers, we bring ourselves in touch with a long tradition of believers who have gone before us, who also recited these prayers. As a result, these prayers become like the roots of a tree, connecting us to the ground of those who have gone before us, and whose faith nourishes us. Without these prayers and the long tradition that connects believers throughout the centuries, our present day faith could run the risk of being unsettled and could too easily shift in the winds and waves of temporary pressures. We will engage in 3 basic prayers, although there are many many more, some of which I will include.
The first prayer, the Lamb of God, traces itself back to John the Baptist who calls Jesus "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). It was repeated as an invocation throughout the ages, and settled itself into the center of the mass by the 7th century. Today most people say it only as part of the mass, but it is a prayer deep and rich in its simplicity, and certainly worthy of being said on its own. It is both a recognition of the love and mercy of God ("you take away the sins of the world") and at the same time a recognition that we are not deserving of that love ("have mercy on us"). It recognizes the centrality of Jesus to our faith ("lamb of God" as meek and mild, and as a sacrifice that saves us) and as the remedy to our eternal strife in life ("grant us peace").
The second prayer, the Our Father, traces itself back as the only recorded prayer that Jesus shared with his disciples (Mt 6:9-13, Lk 11:2-4). Both Gospels have slightly different forms and the form we say today is a traditional combination of these two Gospel passages. The prayer itself is straightforward and because of its source (Jesus) is the most common prayer shared amongst Christians. However, because it is so commonly recited, it has often become a rote exercise, lacking in spiritual depth and superficially glossed over. Volumes have been written about it, attesting to its depth and its ability to withstand a lifetime of exploration. Our recitation will focus on trying to break us from any familiar cadence so that its words can break forth over us again.
The third prayer, the Hail Holy Queen (Salve Regina), departs from prayers that have their verses directly inspired by biblical passages. This prayer is purposefully included to show that our faith is a living faith, whose inspiration continues to be built upon through the ages, leveraging something the Church calls "Tradition." From the earliest days, the Church has seen in Mary, the mother of Jesus, a woman of exemplary faith and courage, whose journey with her son from birth to death was always intimate. This particular prayer, sees in Mary the unswerving love of someone who knew God in a particularly close way - both spiritual and familial. Again, this is a prayer whose subtle depth comes about in repeated recitation combined with a maturing experience of life's ups and downs. It was popular by the 12th century, and builds upon other Marian prayers known from the earliest days of the Church.
Some Common Prayer Texts
Lamb of God
Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
Our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve,
To you do we send up our sighs,
Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us,
And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Glory to God
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
You alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Holy Holy (Sanctus)
Holy holy holy, Lord,
God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!
Canticle of Zechariah
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Canticle of Mary
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the might from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Gate of Heaven
Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature
you bore your Creator,
yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel's joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Penitential Rite
I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,
all the angels and saints,
an you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God.
Act of Contrition
My God,
I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong
and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you
whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance,
to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ
suffered and died for us.
In his name, my God, have mercy.
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