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
Collects

Week Starting October 9-15

Proper 23

O God, our refuge and strength, true source of all godliness: Graciously hear the devout prayers of your Church, and grant that those things which we ask faithfully, we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Deus, refúgium nostrum et virtus: adésto piis Ecclésiæ tuæ précibus, auctor ipse pietátis, et præsta; ut, quod fidéliter pétimus, efficáciter consequámur.

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Original-language source · public domain

BCP 2019, p. 621

Provenance

Gregorian, c.790

Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.

A prayer rooted in Psalm 46's image of God as "refuge and strength," this collect has been prayed at Sunday Mass since at least the eighth century. Cranmer translated it into English for the 1549 prayer book, and it has traveled in every major Anglican prayer book since.