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

Midday Prayer

Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his Cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde, ut qui, Angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem eius et crucem, ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur.

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Original-language source · public domain

Provenance

Gelasian/Gregorian, c. 750

Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.

A prayer accompanying the feast of the Annunciation since at least the eighth century, first used as the postcommunion after the Eucharist in the Sarum and Roman rites, then promoted by Thomas Cranmer in 1549 to serve as the collect for the day – a position it has held in Anglican prayer books ever since.