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

Saint James

O gracious God, your servant and apostle James was first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ: Pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service, by which they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

BCP 2019, p. 630

Proper Preface

Preface of Apostles

Through the great shepherd of your flock, Jesus Christ our Lord, who after his resurrection sent forth his apostles to preach the Gospel and to teach all nations, and promised to be with them always, even to the end of the ages.

Provenance

Episcopal USA 1979

Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.

This prayer names the central fact of James's life: he was the first of the Twelve Apostles to be killed for his faith, executed by Herod Agrippa around AD 44. From that fact it draws a petition for the Church's leaders, asking that they be given the same spirit of self-giving service that marked James – and arguing that such service is what gives authority its legitimacy.