Sentamu's Advent

Archbishop: "Please Walk With Me This Advent"

Friday 27 November 2009

This Advent I would like to invite you to join me in saying the Litany from Common Worship (as adapted) and the Prayer of General Thanksgiving from the Book of Common Prayer as part of your daily prayers.

The Litany may be used as part of, or instead of the Intercessions. At Morning Prayer the General Thanksgiving can be used at the end, and in the Eucharist it may replace the Post-Communion Prayer when using Common Worship.

My prayer times will be morning, midday and evening. Please pray with me.

I wish you a blessed and prayerful Advent.

+Sentamu

THE LITANY (from Common Worship – Parts I – III adapted)

I

Let us pray.

God the Father,

All have mercy upon us.

God the Son,

All have mercy upon us.

God the Holy Spirit,

All have mercy upon us.

Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,

All have mercy upon us.

II

From all evil and mischief;

from pride, vanity and hypocrisy;

from envy, hatred and malice;

and from all evil intent,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

From sloth, worldliness and love of money;

from hardness of heart

and contempt for your word and your laws,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

From sins of body and mind;

from the deceits of the world, the flesh and the devil,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

From famine and disaster;

from violence, murder and dying unprepared,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

In all times of sorrow;

in all times of joy;

in the hour of death,

and at the day of judgement,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

III

By the mystery of your holy incarnation;

by your birth, childhood and obedience;

by your baptism, fasting and temptation,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

By your ministry in word and work;

by your mighty acts of power;

and by your preaching of the kingdom,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

By your agony and trial;

by your cross and passion;

and by your precious death and burial,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

By your mighty resurrection;

by your glorious ascension;

and by your sending of the Holy Spirit,

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

graciously deliver us.

IV

Hear our prayers, O Lord our God.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Govern and direct your holy Church;

fill it with love and truth;

and grant it that unity which is your will.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Give us boldness to preach the gospel in all the world,

and to make disciples of all the nations.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Enlighten N our Bishop and all who minister

with knowledge and understanding,

that by their teaching and their lives

they may proclaim your word.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Give your people grace to hear and receive your word,

and to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Bring into the way of truth all who have erred

and are deceived.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Strengthen those who stand;

comfort and help the faint-hearted;

raise up the fallen;

and finally beat down Satan under our feet.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

V

Guide the leaders of the nations

into the ways of peace and justice.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Guard and strengthen your servant Elizabeth our Queen,

that she may put her trust in you,

and seek your honour and glory.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Endue the High Court of Parliament

and all the Ministers of the Crown

with wisdom and understanding.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Bless those who administer the law,

that they may uphold justice, honesty and truth.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Give us the will to use the resources of the earth to your glory,

and for the good of all creation.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Bless and keep all your people.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

Bring your joy into all families;

strengthen and deliver those in childbirth,

watch over children and guide the young,

bring reconciliation to those in discord

and peace to those in stress.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

mercifully hear us.

VI

Help and comfort the lonely, the bereaved and the oppressed.

All Lord, have mercy.

Keep in safety those who travel, and all who are in danger.

All Lord, have mercy.

Heal the sick in body and mind,

and provide for the homeless, the hungry and the destitute.

All Lord, have mercy.

Show your pity on prisoners and refugees,

and all who are in trouble.

All Lord, have mercy.

Forgive our enemies, persecutors and slanderers,

and turn their hearts.

All Lord, have mercy.

Hear us as we remember

those who have died in the peace of Christ,

both those who have confessed the faith

and those whose faith is known to you alone,

and grant us with them a share

in your eternal kingdom.

All Lord, have mercy.

VII

Give us true repentance;

forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance

and our deliberate sins;

and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit

to amend our lives according to your holy word.

All Holy God,

holy and strong,

holy and immortal,

have mercy upon us.

PRAYER OF GENERAL THANKSGIVING

(from the Book of Common Prayer)

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,

we thine unworthy servants

do give thee most humble and hearty thanks

for all thy goodness and loving-kindness

to us and to all men;

[particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings for thy late mercies vouchsafed unto them.]

We bless thee for our creation, preservation,

and all the blessings of this life;

but above all for thine inestimable love

in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ,

for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

And we beseech thee, give us that due sense

of all thy mercies,

that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful,

and that we shew forth thy praise,

not only with our lips, but in our lives;

by giving up ourselves to thy service,

and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness

all our days;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost

be all honour and glory, world without end.

Amen.