Commontide

Preparation for Personal Prayer

Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.

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Commontide
Collect
Prayers

A Collect for Sabbath Rest

Saturday — Morning Prayer

Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Provenance

BCP 1979 (US)

Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.

This Saturday collect is first attested in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, during the Episcopal Church's major liturgical revision of the 1960s and 70s. It moves from the biblical image of God resting after creation into a prayer for restful preparation before the Lord's Day, and passed unchanged into the ACNA's 2019 prayer book.