05 July 2012

Prayer of the Church

preceding the German Litany - Magdeburg Book, 1613 (p. 279):

Take from us, dear Lord, our sins and transgressions, so that we may come before Your eyes with pure hearts and humility. 

Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy, dear Lord, upon Your people, which You, O Christ, have redeemed with Your own blood. 

Hear, hear, hear Lord God, our prayer. 

Christ our Redeemer, pray for us to Your dear Father. 

[The book prescribes this prayer and the German litany to be prayed at the Divine Service on  Thursday after Trinity IV between the appointed Epistle and the Gospel reading]

1 comment:

Matt Carver (Matthaeus Glyptes) said...

Nice to see this! Thanks for sharing. A couple friendly notes: I would translate "mit reinem Herzen und Gemüte" as "with (a) clean heart and mind" (singular for plural emphasizing each person in the assembly united as one). Gebete 'prayer, supplication' seems to suggest the whole collective number of prayers and petitions (such as those to follow in the litany). "vor deine Augen treten" is idiomatically translated into English "come into Thy presence" at the cost of losing the vivid suggestion of God's omniscient, scrutinizing gaze. Finally the phrase (omitted above): "und zürne nicht mit uns ewig," seems to be taken from the passage in Jeremiah "keep not anger forever" (or from any number of other similar passages), and reminds us of our need and purpose. Yours respectfully, Matthew.