My Jesus, how can I sufficiently praise Your great love, since You have not only given Yourrself into death for me, a poor sinner, but also ordained Your holy body and precious blood as food for my soul in the Holy Supper. O Love, Your death brings me life, and Your body and blood strengthen and refresh me to the life everlasting. By this means I abide in You and You in me; You live in me, and in You I obtain righteousness and strength. And so my sin cannot frighten me, and Satan has no power to condemn me, for in this gracious feast I receive the ransom for my sins. Here I receive the body that was given into death for me. Here I receive the blood that was poured for me, for the forgiveness of sin. This is the blood of atonement by which my sins and the sins of all people have been canceled. Now, as surely as I receive it, so surely God is merciful to me, and I have the forgiveness of all my sins. In Holy Baptism, the first Sacrament which I received, You gave me the Holy Spirit as a pledge together with the gift of the new life, thus assuring me that I am Your child and heir. In this Holy Supper, this next Sacrament, You give me the pledge of Your body and blood, to preserve and strengthen me in the new life.O my God, sanctify my soul, strengthen my faith, that I may receive this feast of love worthily and for my salvation. Grant that my thoughts may always be with You! Drive from my heart all sinful suggestions and desires and everyting that might hinder my devotion, so that You may abide in me and I may be and abide in You to all eternity.
I think that it would be a good idea for Concordia Publishing House to pay somebody who has a good ear for language to work through the Starck prayer book and put into modern English. You did a good job with one prayer, too bad nobody is working on doing the whole book.
ReplyDeleteStarck's Prayer Book, over 600 pages, for $25 from Emmanuel Press is quite a bargain.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.emmanuelpress.us/