Prayers of the Middle Ages: Light from a Thousand Years

Prayers

Almighty, everlasting God, have mercy on Thy servants our friends. Keep
them continually under Thy protection, and direct them according to Thy
gracious favour in the way of everlasting salvation; that they may
desire such things as please Thee, and with all their strength perform
the same. And forasmuch as they trust in Thy mercy, vouchsafe, O Lord,
graciously to assist them with Thy heavenly help, that they may ever
diligently serve Thee, and by no temptations be separated from Thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

                                                        —Thomas à Kempis


                             For Thy Spirit

  The prayers I make will then be sweet indeed,
  If Thou the spirit give by which I pray;
  My unassisted heart is barren clay,
  That of its native self can nothing feed;
  Of good and pious works Thou art the seed
  That quickens only where Thou say’st it may.
  Unless Thou show to us Thy own true way,
  No man can find it! Father! Thou must lead;
  Do Thou then breathe those thoughts into my mind
  By which such virtue may in me be bred
  That in Thy holy footsteps I may tread;
  The fetters of my tongue do Thou unbind,
  That I may have the power to sing to Thee,
  And sound Thy praises everlastingly! Amen.

                                                           —Michelangelo




                               FOOTNOTES


[1]Old Spanish liturgy, later named Mozarabic.

[2]Gerhard Groot was the founder of the “Brothers of the Common Life.”
    Some scholars claim The Imitation of Christ, usually attributed to
    Thomas à Kempis, was done by Groot and edited by Thomas à Kempis.




                                 INDEX


                                   A
  Absent Friends, 51, 87
  Acceptable Service, 53
  Adoration, 39
  Afflicted, For the, 46, 48 (2)
  Against Temptation, 19
  Alcuin, 32, 33
  Alfred the Great, 39, 40
  Ancient Collects, 9, 12, 13, 14
  Anselm, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51
  Answer to Prayer, 18 (1), 25 (2)
  Anxiety, 74
  Aquinas, Thomas, 70, 71

                                   B
  Bede, Venerable, 32
  Belief, 66 (1)
  Bereaved, 48 (2)
  Benediction, 42, 55 (1), 67 (1)
  Bernard of Clairvaux, 62, 63
  Birthday, 42
  Blessings, 42 (1)
  Blessedness, 23 (1), 47, 75
  Bonds, 60 (2)
  Bonaventura, 71
  Bradwardine, Thomas, 74
  Brightness, 13, 19 (3), 52 (1), 56 (4), 57 (2), 84
  Brokenhearted, 12 (3)
  Brothers, For the, 69 (1)
  Brotherly Kindness, 55

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Prayers of the Middle Ages: Light from a Thousand Years

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