Almighty Father, who gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification: Give us grace so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve you in purity of life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Preface of Easter
But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was offered for us, and has taken away the sin of the world; who by his death has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again has won for us everlasting life.
Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.
A prayer Cranmer composed for the 1549 Prayer Book, weaving together two Pauline Easter texts: Romans 4:25, on Christ's resurrection for our justification, and 1 Corinthians 5:8, on putting away "the leaven of malice and wickedness." It dropped out of the 1552 revision, was restored in 1662 as the collect for Low Sunday, and in 1979 was moved to Easter Friday.