Let us pray (in silence) [that God’s love strengthen us to do God’s will]
pause
Almighty everliving God,
increase within us your gifts of faith, hope, and love,
and make us cherish what you command,
so that we may obtain what you promise;
through Jesus Christ
who is alive with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.
The above is my reworking of the collect shared by Roman Catholics and Episcopalians/Anglicans this coming Sunday and the week following. I am very happy to receive comments and also suggestions for improvement.
The original was
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, da nobis fidei, spei, et caritatis augmentum:
et ut mereamur assequi quod promittis, fac nos amare quod praecipis.
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer translated this for the 1549 Book of Common Prayer as:
ALMIGHTYE and everlastyng God, geve unto us the increase of faythe, hope, and charitie; and that we may obteine that whiche thou doest promise; make us to love that whiche thou doest commaunde, through Jesus Christe our Lorde.
I have had a commentary on this collect here.
TEC’s BCP has:
Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity;
and, that we may obtain what you promise,
make us love what you command;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Roman Catholic new translation 2011:
Almighty ever-living God,
increase our faith, hope and charity,
and make us love what you command,
so that we may merit what you promise.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
I have some questions about my reworking. Cranmer has “everlasting”; I’m not so sure that’s a helpful contemporary metaphor? “Eternal” would be another option? “increase in us” rather than “within us”? “the gifts” is the literal; my choice of “your gifts” I think is clearer? I have chosen “love” others have “charity”? “enable us to” rather than “make us”? I have “cherish” where others have “love” – it is too close to have “love” twice? You will notice I’ve reversed the order from the Latin (as has the RC version): “and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command;”. Any comments or suggestions?
