Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity [Day 3]

A Prayer Once Prayed in England

O MERCIFUL God,
let the glorious intercession of Thy saints assist us,
particularly the most blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of Thy only-begotten Son,
and Thy holy Apostles, Peter and Paul,
to whose patronage we humbly recommend this country.
Be mindful of our fathers, Eleutherius, Celestine, and Gregory,
bishops of the Holy City;
of Augustine, Columba, and Aidan,
who delivered to us inviolate the faith of the Holy Roman Church.
Remember our holy martyrs,
who shed their blood for Christ:
especially our first martyr, Saint Alban,
and Thy most glorious bishop, Saint Thomas of Canterbury.
Remember all those holy confessors;
bishops, and kings,
all those holy monks and hermits,
all those holy virgins and widows,
who made this once an island of saints,
illustrious by their glorious merits and virtues.
Let not their memory perish from before Thee, O Lord,
but let their supplication enter daily into Thy sight;
and do Thou, who didst so often spare Thy sinful people
for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
now, also, moved by the prayers of our fathers, reigning with Thee,
have mercy upon us,
save Thy people, and bless Thy inheritance;
and suffer not those souls to perish,
which Thy Son hath redeemed with His own most Precious Blood,
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

(I have changed Henry VIII's odd "world without end" to the more literal and understandable "ages of ages". Tradition is a good guide to orthodoxy, but not a perfect guide).

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Today is the third day of the octave of prayer for Christian unity.

ANTIPHON: That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, in me and I in Thee; that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.

V. I say unto thee, thou art Peter;

R. And upon this rock I will build my Church.

For the return of the Anglicans to the authority of the Vicar of Christ.

Let us pray. Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst unto Thine apostles, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you;" regard not our sins, but the faith of Thy Church, and grant unto her that peace and unity which is according to Thy will, Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and ever.

O gracious Father, we humbly beseech thee for Thy holy Catholic Church; that Thou wouldst be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it it in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, The Prince of Peace; Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions. Take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from godly union and concord: that as there is but one Body and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Hymn: The Church's one foundation

The Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity was started in 1908 by the Society of the Atonement at Graymoor, an Episcopalian community located in New York. The following year the Society was received into the Catholic Church. May many more follow them.