Let us pray (in silence) [that the God who entices us may also enable us to be transformed]
pause
Almighty and everliving God,
conform our wills freely to yours,
and direct our hearts
to share your glory by our undivided service;
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 for my Book of Prayers in Common in which I seek to provide a set of collects with history and commentary.
Christians have been praying this collect, on the equivalent of the Seventh Sunday of Easter for at least 12 centuries. It has not been used much in post-Reformation churches, and after Vatican II it was moved to the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time in the Roman Rite. But it still fits fine in its historic position.
Please add comments, particularly about the translation, in the comments below. Read my comments at: Seventh Sunday of Easter.
Here are resources for Sunday on the website textweek.
In the Southern Hemisphere, this is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
Here are: Lectionary Reading Introduction
Don’t forget this is still the Easter Season: the Easter Candle is still lit at all services, and “Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” is still being used, with “Alleluia” added to other responses also.
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‘direct our hearts’….
when will humans stop using God as an excuse for murder and cruelty?
No person serves God by murder or cruelty, I really believe that.
Quite beautiful. Simple, lyrical in my mind, evocative.
thanks for this! Alleluia!
(was that a hint you left?)