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.

Touch screen to pause

Skip to main content
Commontide
Collect
Collects

The Presentation of Christ in the Temple

Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the substance of our flesh, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, majestatem tuam supplices exoramus: ut, sicut Unigenitus Filius tuus hodierna die cum nostrae carnis substantia in templo est praesentatus; ita nos facias purificatis tibi mentibus praesentari.

Turn your device sideways to read the texts side by side.

Original-language source · public domain

BCP 2019, p. 603

Proper Preface

Preface of the Presentation

Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Provenance

Gregorian, c.787

Draft — AI-assisted research under editorial review.

One of the oldest collects in the Anglican prayer book, this oration was translated by Thomas Cranmer in 1549 from a Latin text in the Gregorian Sacramentary. Its central image is drawn from Luke 2: as Christ was presented in the Temple in genuine human flesh, so we ask to be presented before God with pure hearts.