Roman Prayers and Litanies     Contents: Prayers by the Western Fathers Wisdom Quotes by St. Augustine The Nicene Creed (Constantinople) Roman Liturgy of The Eucharist The Shepherd of Hermas (full text in English)   Prayers by The Western Fathers Prayer by St. Ambrose of Milan O God, I who presume to invoke Thy Holy Name, stand in the presence of Thy Divine Majesty: have mercy upon me, a man: a sinner smeared by the foulness of inherent impurity; forgive the unworthy priest in whose hand this oblation is seen offered: Spare O Lord one polluted by sins: in faults the foremost, in comparison to all others, and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, for no one living is justified in Thy sight. It is true that we are weighed down in the faults and desires of our flesh: remember, O Lord, that we are flesh and there is no other source of help than Thee. Yeah, in Thy sight not even those in Heaven are much more cleansed than we earthly humans, of whom, as the Prophet said of all our righteous acts: we are in comparison as unworthy as a menstrual rag. O Jesus Christ, let us live. O Thou Who dost not will the death of a sinner: grant forgiveness unto us whom Thou hast established in flesh, so that by penitential acts we may come to enjoy eternal life in the Heavens, through our Lord Jesus Christ Who reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit throughout all ages of ages. Amen.   Penitential Prayer by St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397) O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore Thee, a heart to delight in Thee, to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ’s sake, Amen   A Prayer Seeking God St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397) O Lord, teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to me when I seek you. For I cannot seek you unless you first teach me, nor find you unless you first reveal yourself to me. Let me seek you in longing, and long for you in seeking. Let me find you in love, and love you in finding.   A Prayer for Christ's Mercy by St. Jerome O Lord, show Your mercy to me and gladden my heart. I am like the man on the way to Jericho who was overtaken by robbers, wounded and left for dead. O Good Samaritan, come to my aid. I am like the sheep that went astray. O Good Shepherd, seek me out and bring me home in accord with Your will. Let me dwell in Your house all the days of my life and praise You for ever and ever with those who are there. Amen.   Acclaim To The Suffering Christ by St. Gregory the Great O Lord, You received affronts without number from Your blasphemers, yet each day You free captive souls from the grip of the ancient enemy. You did not avert Your face from the spittle of perfidy, yet You wash souls in saving waters. You accepted Your scourging without murmur, yet through your meditation You deliver us from endless chastisements. You endured ill-treatment of all kinds, yet You want to give us a share in the choirs of angels in glory everlasting. You did not refuse to be crowned with thorns, yet You save us from the wounds of sin. In your thirst You accepted the bitterness of gall, yet You prepare Yourself to fill us with eternal delights. You kept silence under the derisive homage rendered You by Your executioners, yet You petition the Father for us although You are his equal in Divinity. You came to taste death, yet You were the Life and had come to bring it to the dead. Amen.     Lord Jesus, Let Me Know Myself (Domine Iesu, Noverim me) by St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440) Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know Thee, And desire nothing save only Thee. Let me hate myself and love Thee. Let me do everything for the sake of Thee. Let me humble myself and exalt Thee. Let me think of nothing except Thee. Let me die to myself and live in Thee. Let me accept whatever happens as from Thee. Let me banish self and follow Thee, And ever desire to follow Thee. Let me fly from myself and take refuge in Thee, That I may deserve to be defended by Thee. Let me fear for myself, let me fear Thee, And let me be among those who are chosen by Thee. Let me distrust myself and put my trust in Thee. Let me be willing to obey for the sake of Thee. Let me cling to nothing save only to Thee, And let me be poor because of Thee. Look upon me, that I may love Thee. Call me that I may see Thee, And for ever enjoy Thee. Amen.     Prayer in time of darkness by St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440) God of life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and wear us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening; when our lives have no music in them and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, we beseech you; turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise.   Prayer to the Holy Spirit by St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440) Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.   Christmas Prayer by St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-440) Let the just rejoice, for their Justifier is born. Let the sick and infirm rejoice, For their Savior is born. Let the captives rejoice, For their Redeemer is born. Let slaves rejoice, for their Master is born. Let free men rejoice, For their Liberator is born. Let All Christians rejoice, For Jesus Christ is born.     Quotes by St. Augustine Charity is no substitute for justice withheld. Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation. Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation. Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others. Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again. Give me chastity and continence, but not yet. God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. He that is kind is free, though he is a slave; he that is evil is a slave, though he be a king. He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent. Hear the other side. Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature. Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering. Love is the beauty of the soul. Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible. In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery? If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself. If we did not have rational souls, we would not be able to believe. If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, don't accept, because you will lose one friend; on the other hand, if two strangers come with the same request, accept because you will gain one friend. I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you. Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works. This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee. What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.     The Nicene Creed   1. We believe in one God the Father, the Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen. 2. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being [substance] with the Father. Through him all things were made. 3. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made truly human. 4. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. 5. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; 6. he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 7. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.. 8. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. 9. We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. 10. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 11. We look for the resurrection of the dead, 12. and the life of the world to come. Amen.

While the liturgy of the word focused upon the table of the Lord’s word-the lectern, the Eucharistic liturgy centers upon the altar-both a place of sacrifice as well as the table from which as Christians we are fed. The themes of sacrifice, thanksgiving and meal dominate. 

A). The Preparation of the Altar and the Gifts - The gifts of bread and wine are placed at the back of the church before the service. The people then join in the giving their monetary offerings in support of their community and it’s various ministries. This collection is a real expression of support for your local community church.

 

After this in procession, people bring the bread and wine forward with the people’s offerings. The priest receives then in the community’s name. “The rite of carrying up the gifts connects us with the traditions of the early Church where people brought up bread and wine which they worked to make for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

 

Taking is the first of the Eucharistic actions. While the Western Church in the past emphasized the bread and wine which are transformed, originally the Hebrew context stressed the actions themselves.  Thus the Eucharist is often referred to in Scripture not in terms of the bread and wine but as actions of taking, blessing, breaking and sharing. The early Church commonly referred to the Eucharist as the “breaking of bread.”

 

When he has received the gifts the priest prepares them, reciting prayers patterned on the ancient Jewish Kiddish of the Passover meal: “Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, Creator of the fruit of the earth. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” The priest then adds a drop of water to the wine - a tradition from the 1st Church who considered it symbolic of the union of Christ’s humanity and divinity, or of Christ with his Church.

 

The priest then washes his hands as did the Jewish leaders before the ritual meal. This action has also taken on symbolic significance. The priest prays, “Lord wash away my iniquity, cleanse me from my sins.” The presider invites the people to prayer: they respond. The rite concludes with a short prayer over the gifts.

 

B). Eucharistic Prayer: Now at the very heart of the Eucharist, this prayer in some aspect antedates Christianity itself. Its model is derived from the Jewish Berakah or blessing prayer. Berakah prayer generally praises and blesses God for all the wonderful gifts of creation. The celebrant gives thanks to God in imagery appropriate to the day or season and the “Holy, Holy, Holy” is sung or recited by the community.

 

Now in a longer prayer of thanksgiving, the priest on behalf of all gives thanks to God for Christ. He asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine transforming them into Christ’s body and blood. This invocation is known as the epiclesis.

 

The institution narrative recalls the Last Supper which in essence, go back to Jesus himself. Even Paul quotes these words as tradition. The institution narrative leads the people to acclaim their faith in one of four different acclamations. The people are not simple observers but active participants in the mystery being celebrated.

Remembrance of the saving acts of Jesus follows. This section is known as the anamnesis. Remembrance is a much stronger action in Jesus’ day then in our culture. To remember something meant to enter into it and bring its power into the present. Thus in remembering, Jesus’ sacrifice becomes present and can be entered into just as the first disciples did. The Church in celebrating the Eucharist is fulfilling Jesus’ command to keep His memorial. It does this by recalling especially his passion, resurrection and ascension.

 

In this memorial, the Church joins in Christ’s self-offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit. It calls the faithful not only to offer the spotless victim but also to learn to offer themselves. In doing so they are drawn into ever more perfect union, through Christ the Mediator, with the Father and with each other, so that at last God may be all in all. The priest then again invokes the Holy Spirit to bless the Church and to unite all Christians and again to bless the gifts.

 

The intercessions make it clear that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the entire Church in heaven and on earth. The offering is made for the Church in all its members, living and dead, who are called to share in salvation. We remember the saints as well as our brothers and sisters who have died and our friends in need.

 

The great prayer concludes with a doxology. The people confirm this entire prayer with a final “Amen.”

 

C). Communion Rite: Communion expresses unity in the body of Christ. Through communion Christians are united with God in Christ and through Christ with one another in unity.

 

The Lords Prayer opens this rite in the words and according to the model of Jesus. After the prayer the priest’s short prayer continues its spirit and followed up with another doxology.

 

The Sign of Peace goes back to the earliest Christians and is a result of God’s reconciliation which begins among Christians and then flows into the world at large.

 

The Breaking of the Bread is the third great action of the Eucharist. To the early Christians, sharing in one loaf was a symbol of unity, solidarity and family; sliced bread, crackers or individual hosts (special wafers) lose this significance. During this action the people sing a litany acknowledging Jesus as the Lamb of God pointed to by John the Baptist and that the bread we share is indeed that same Christ.

 

Now the priest holds up the host and cup, inviting the community to come forward and receive. The community responds with the words of the Roman centurion to Jesus (Matthew 8:8). Then the journey toward the altar to receive Communion; this procession reflects the journey we all have towards God. And made with friends in the community it is one more sign of unity flowing from the Eucharist. A Psalm is also generally sung by the choir and community as this journey forward continues.

 

After receiving Communion all return to their seats and spend the time in prayer. The priest then draws the prayers together in the Prayer after Communion.

 

D). Concluding Rites: These rites now focus upon the sending forth of the community. No sacrament exists as an end in itself. Christians are transformed and nourished in the sacraments to in turn become sacraments to the world.

 

The priest gives a final blessing. As at the beginning all trace the sign of the cross. The dismissal sends us forth to in turn become the bread of the world. The word “Mass” comes from the ancient Latin dismissal, “Ite, missa est.” (Go, it is sent).