Anglican Prayers in Time of Pestilence

The liturgical and spiritual patrimony possessed by those former Anglicans who have entered into full communion with the Catholic Church is, as Pope Benedict XVI stated (would that he were still gloriously reigning!), a gift to be shared with the whole Church. 

For this reason, during the current coronavirus pandemic, it is appropriate to suggest the use of some of the more suitable Anglican prayers long ago drawn up for use “In the time of any common Plague or Sickness”.

The Scottish Book of Common Prayer of 1929 supplies a short collect, as follows:

O ALMIGHTY and merciful God, with whom are the issues of life and death: Grant us, we beseech thee, help and deliverance in this time of grievous sickness and mortality, and sanctify to us this affliction, that in our sore distress we may turn our hearts unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The English Book of Common Prayer of 1552 contained another suitable prayer, revised and enlarged for the standard 1662 version as follows:

O ALMIGHTY God, who in thy wrath didst send a plague upon thine own people in the wilderness, for their obstinate rebellion against Moses and Aaron; and also, in the time of king David, didst slay with the plague of pestilence threescore and ten thousand, and yet, remembering thy mercy, didst save the rest: Have pity upon us miserable sinners, who now are visited with great sickness and mortality; that, like as thou didst then accept of an atonement, and didst command the destroying angel to cease from punishing, so it may now please thee to withdraw from us this plague and grievous sickness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

It will be evident why the main addition made at the time of the Restoration was to insert the phrase “didst send a plague upon thine own people in the wilderness, for their obstinate rebellion against Moses and Aaron; and also”, lest the prayer seem somewhat too anti-royalist.

The Irish Book of Common Prayer of 1926 supplies the following intercession:

O ALMIGHTY God, the Lord of life and death, of health and sickness: Have pity upon us miserable sinners, now visited with great sickness [and mortality]. Withdraw from us this grievous affliction. Sanctify to us, we beseech thee, this thy fatherly correction. Enlarge our charity to relieve those who need our help. Bless the remedies applied to assist them. Give us prudence to see, and vigour to use, those means which thy providence affords, for preventing and alleviating such calamities. And, above all, teach us to know how frail and uncertain our condition is, and so to number our days, that we may seriously apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom, whilst we live here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting; through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thine only Son our Lord. Amen. 

Finally, from the special prayers appointed to be said at the time of the Great Plague of London in 1665 comes this magnificently lengthy and Scripture-laden effusion:

O Most gratious God, Father of Mercies, and of our Lord Jesus Christ; look down upon us, we beseech thee, in much pity, and compassion, and behold our great misery, and trouble. For there is wrath gone out against us, and the Plague is begun. That dreadful Arrow of thine sticks fast in our flesh, and the Venime thereof fires our bloud, and drinks up our spirits; And shouldst thou suffer it to bring us all to the dust of Death, yet must we still acknowledge, that Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just are thy judgements. For our Transgressions multiplied against thee, as the sand on the Sea-shore, might justly bring over us a Deluge of thy Wrath. The cry of our sins, that hath pierc’t the very Heavens, might well return with showers of Vengeance upon our Heads. While our Earth is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof, what wonder; if thou commandest an evil Angel to pour out his Vial into our Air, to fill it with Infection, and the noisome Pestilence, and so to turn the vary breath of our Life into the savour of Death unto us all! But yet we beseech thee, O our God, forget not thou to be gracious: neither shut thou up thy loving kindnesse in Displeasure. For his sake, who himselfe took our Infirmities, and bare our Sicknesses, have mercy upon us; and say to the destroying Angel, It is enough. O let that bloud of sprinkling, which speaks better things then that of Abel, be upon the Lintel, and the two side posts in all our Dwellings, that the Destroyer may passe by. Let the sweet Odour of thy blessed Son’s all-sufficient Sacrifice, and Intercession (infinitely more prevalent then the typicall Incense of Aaron) interpose between the living and the dead, and be our full, and perfect Atonement, ever acceptable with thee, that the Plague may be stayed. O let us live and we will praise thy Name; and these thy judgments shall teach us to look every Man into the plague of his own heart: that being cleansed from all our sins, we may serve thee with pure hearts all our dayes, perfecting holinesse in thy fear, till we come at last, where there is no more Sicknesse, nor Death, through thy tender Mercies in him alone, who is our Life, and our Health, and our Salvation, Jesus Christ, our ever blessed Saviour, and Redeemer. Amen[.]

UPDATE: And here is another prayer from the same order of service, perhaps less well-put but still pertinent:

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, whose Judgments are most severe, and terrible against obstinate offenders; but thy Mercies infinite to all, that with hearty Repentance, and true Faith turn unto thee: We, the sinful people of this land, whom for our iniquities, and manifold transgressions thou hast in many places most justly visited with the noisom Plague, and Pestilence, come now before the Throne of thy grace in the Name of thy dear Son, in whom thou art well pleased; and in confidence of that Atonement which he hath made for us, most humbly beseech thee to pardon, & forgive us all our sins in thought, word, or deed committed against thy Divine Majesty; to work in us dayly more and more a true, hearty, and unfeigned Sorrow, and Repentance for the same; to plant in our hearts a sincere and setled Resolution, by the assistance of thy Grace, to lead the rest of our lives in careful Obedience to thy holy Will in all things; and so to remove from us this Plague, and grievous Sickness, that we be not utterly consumed by means of thy heavy hand. To this end, grant us, good Lord of thy grace & mercy, all things conducing hereunto; Seasonable Weather, and good Air, and wholsom Food, & powerful Medicines, and whatever else thou seest to be good, and profitable for us; together with a due Care, and Conscience in using of the same; that we neither presume, nor tempt thy Majesty by neglecting the Means, which thou hast appointed, nor yet despair of thy Blessing in the diligent use of them, nor in any event repine, or murmure at thy Providence, what portion soever it allots us: But that submitting our selves to thy good pleasure in all things, we may commit the keeping of our Souls to thee in well-doing, as unto a faithfull Creatour; with compassionate pity, and charity (as we are able) succouring the sick, and preserving the whole, and praying fervently for All: and finally, that depending entirely upon thy Goodness, we may wait the hour of thy gracious Deliverance in Faith and Hope, and constant Patience, with perfect Resignation to thy wise, and just Appointment in all things; To the which we betake our selves, and the whole Nation, and what ever concerns us. Be mercifull unto us, O God be mercifull unto us, for our souls trust only in thee, and under the shadow of thy Wings shall be our refuge, till this Calamity be overpast [cf. Ps. 57. 1.]; which we beseech thee speedily to remove, if it be thy will, O Lord God of Mercies, and Father of Compassions, and to restore the voice of Joy, and Health once more into our Dwellings, for the alone Merits sake of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, our only Mediatour, and Advocate. Amen.

The Divine Praises

A quick internet search turns up the well-known text of the Divine Praises, along with a note attributing its origins to Fr Luigi (Louis? or Aloysius?) Felici, S.J. in 1797, as a form of reparation for blasphemy. (I found a copy on Google Books of the oration preached at his funeral, which indicates he died in 1818; and another search turned up the fact that he was born in 1736.) It was written in Italian, and the Latin is a later translation (as is the form in English, of course). The original form had but eight lines, to which successive additions have been made. Pius VII granted an indulgence for its recitation on 23 July 1801; I haven't found a copy of Felici's original, so I do not know if Pius VII changed or enlarged it, as some sources seem to suggest.

Succeeding Popes have added ever more indulgences and blessings to it (though those indulgences have since been watered down); but it turned out to be quite hard to discover exactly when. Recourse had to be had to the Acta Apostolicæ Sedis, and other sources, to find the official decrees adding each blessing, and I have found a puzzling reference to the date when Bl Pius IX made the first addition in honour of the Immaculate Conception, suggesting that it was added, not in the year 1856 as other sources claim, but on 27 April 1851, some years prior to the dogmatic definition of 1854. Herewith, the Divine Praises, with the dates of each addition noted:

Blessed be God.
Blessed be his Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be his Most Sacred Heart. (Leo XIII, 2 February 1897)
Blessed be his Most Precious Blood. (St John XXIII, 12 October 1960)
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit the Paraclete. (Bl Paul VI, 27 April 1964)
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception. (Bl Pius IX, 25 April 1851)
Blessed be her glorious Assumption. (Pius XII, 23 December 1952, 8 April 1953)
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St Joseph, her most chaste spouse. (Benedict XV, 23 February 1921)
Blessed be God in his Angels and in his Saints.

There are two dates given for the insertion of blessing of the Assumption, since by an embarrassing error it was first commanded to be illogically inserted before that of the Immaculate Conception, so a correction had to be published a few months later.

I recall reading somewhere, in a book on the Eucharist by Louis Bouyer I think, that two desirable additions to these praises would be "Blessed be the holy Apostles" (those pillars of the Church founded by their Master) and "Blessed be the holy Catholic Church" - the latter, being the Bride of Christ, oft reviled by the world's attacks (all too often deservedly attracted, sad to say, by the outrageous crimes of her sinful members), yet remaining holy and spotless in her essential nature despite every attempted besmirching: she is, after all, casta meretrix.

Prayers for a Time of Earthquakes and Violent Floods

Frustrated by a lack of decent modern prayers for such times of catastrophe as are now afflicting the world, I turned to older sources; and soon enough located James Merrick's Prayers for a Time of Earthquakes and Violent Floods, which was issued in 1756, just after the Great Lisbon Earthquake that devastated the Portuguese capital, slew tens to hundreds of thousands, and shook all Europe, on All Saints' Day 1755.  The term "Floods" in Merrick's pamphlet's title refers to what we now call tsunami, a word imparting such a sense of terror, signifying the vomiting forth of the sea upon the land to the destruction of every thing thereon.

Of your charity, pray in behalf of the people of Japan, whether those multitudes drowned and gone before God's Judgement, or their surviving kinsmen perhaps bereft of all possessions; pray that the threatened nuclear disaster be averted.

Herewith, as downloaded and proof-read, Merrick's Prayers:

PRAYERS

For a Time of

EARTHQUAKES

and

Violent FLOODS:

Suited to the various Occasions and Circumstances of Persons who are apprehensive of such Calamities, or have already felt the Effects of them.

_____________________________________

By JAMES MERRICK, M.A.

Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford.

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

LONDON:

Sold by John Rivington, in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1756.

[Price 1 d. or 7 s. a Hundred. ]

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

TO THE

READER.

T

HE present Situation of the Author (who has lain under a long and painful Illness, which makes a very little Application to Writing and Reading oppressive to him)[1] may plead in some Measure for any Defects to be observed in the following Collection of Devotions. Had he not found this little Attempt too much for him, he might perhaps have made some Addition to it. As it now stands, he has been encouraged to hope, that the Publication of it may be of some Use.

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

INTRODUCTION.

T

HE Use of Prayer and Repentance, at a Time when we are threatened with Earthquakes, Inundations, or other like Events, may be considered under three Views; as intended either to secure to us a happy Condition in another Life, in case we perish by them, or to keep the Events themselves from happening, or lastly to bespeak God's Care and Providence for our personal Safety when they do happen. I shall offer some Reflections relating to each of these Points.

When the Calamities of the Time are regarded as the Fruit of our Sins, and Tokens of God's Anger, the Importance and Necessity of forsaking our Sins, and of recommending ourselves to the Favour of God by a strict Observance of his Laws, are clear and obvious to every Understanding. But if such Changes in the natural World were not the Signs of divine Wrath, nor the Destruction of some Persons and Preservation of others the immediate Appointment of Providence, though there would then indeed be no Hope of averting the temporal Calamities which threaten us, either by Prayer or any other religious Performances, yet in this Case likewise, the Necessity and Advantage of addressing ourselves to God in Prayer, and applying ourselves to the Duties of Religion with all possible Diligence, must appear to every thinking Man in the strongest Light. For whether we consider the astonishing Events, which have lately alarmed the World[2], as the Effects of Sin or not, sure we are that we have sinned, and we know likewise, that if we die in our Sins, we must suffer the Vengeance of God in another World, however we may escape it in this. When therefore we hear Accounts of Earthquakes, which have swept away great Multitudes of Men with a swift and sudden Destruction; when we are told that they have extended to vastly distant Parts of the World; that Nations near us have felt the Effects of them to a most dreadful Degree, and that our own Island has already in some Measure been affected by them, it deeply concerns us to make the best Preparation we can for a Trial, of which we have so much Reason to be apprehensive ; and which, if it should befal us, may plunge us into Eternity in a Moment. It will be our Wisdom and our Happiness to be frequent and earnest in our Prayers to almighty God, to examine our past Lives and the present State of our Souls, to shew the Sincerity of our Repentance by a thorough Amendment of Life, and to keep ourselves ready for that awful Account, to which we know not how soon we may be called. This will be a certain Method of securing ourselves from the worst Effects of any such calamitous Event, though it should come upon us: But Revelation has encouraged us to hope, that by a timely Application to the Duties of Religion, we may save ourselves even from the temporal Suffering with which we are threatened.

We have the clearest Evidence from Scripture, that almighty God, when he made the World, and appointed the Course of Nature, did not preclude himself from working such Changes in them as might at any Time answer the Designs of his Justice, or his Mercy, in regard to Mankind. We are there told, that he has actually wrought such Changes in them for the Punishment of wicked Men; and that not only in his Dealings with the Jews, his peculiar People, but with others also. The Account given us of Noah's Flood is alone a full Confirmation of the Point, as it shews that the Effects of his Vengeance have extended to all the Nations under Heaven. On the other Hand, the Instance of God's Mercy to the Inhabitants of Nineveh may well give us Hope of averting his temporal Judgements, if we follow the Example of their Humiliation and Repentance: For who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce Anger, that we perish not*?

But beside the Hope which the Scriptures afford us of preventing a national Calamity by a general Repentance and Reformation, they farther encourage the penitent Sinner to trust in the divine Goodness for his own personal Safety (if God sees that his Continuance in Life will be an Advantage to him) though the Judgements threatened should fall upon the Community to which he belongs. Without enlarging upon the Subject, I shall propose one Text from the New Testament, which may direct our Judgement in this Particular: Are not two Sparrows sold for a Farthing? (says our blessed Saviour) and one of them shall not fall on the Ground without your Father. But the very Hairs of your Head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore ye are of more Value than many Sparrows, Matth. Ch.x. Ver. 29, 30, 31. Let any Person consider what is here said of the Attention shewn by almighty God to every thing that may endanger the Life of a simple Bird, and of the superior Importance of Man, and judge whether a Calamity which destroys the Life of Thousands of Men, and puts an End to their State of Probation, can be effected merely by Chance, or a blind Concurrence of natural Causes. If not, we have the strongest Reason to cast ourselves on the Providence of God, and to use our utmost Endeavours to procure ourselves a Share in his Favour and Protection, who can govern and direct the alarming Changes which have begun to appear in the material World, in all their Circumstances, and in all their Consequences; can either Stop their Progress, or remove us out of the Reach of their Violence when they happen; and who will most certainly (if we do our Duty) either save us from Death, or make it a Step to our everlasting Happiness.

_____________________________________

I.

A Prayer to be used by a private Person or by a Family.

O

 Almighty God, Maker and Governor of Heaven and Earth, have Mercy on the whole Race of Mankind; and grant that the Ruin which thou hast brought upon the World by Earthquakes and Floods may awaken us all to a Sense of our Danger, and make us deeply and earnestly repent of those Sins which have most justly provoked thy Wrath and Indignation against us. Glory be to thee for thy Goodness to those of this Nation and Place, in allowing us Time for Repentance; O let us not increase our Guilt by neglecting to use it, but work in us all such a Regard to thy Laws, as may prevent the Continuance of thy Judgements, and save us from that sudden Destruction with which we are threatened: But if thou see it needful to inflict it upon us, O let it not find us unprepared, but grant that we may depart out of this World in thy Faith and Fear, with a perfect Resignation to thy Will, a full Trust in thy Mercy and Goodness, and a stedfast Hope of eternal Life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

_____________________________________

II.

A Prayer to be used by a private Person, either before or after an Earthquake or violent Flood.

N. B. The two following Prayers, being of different Lengths, may be used at different Times, according to a Person’s Opportunity.

A

Lmighty God, who seest me placed in the midst of many and great Dangers, watch over me I beseech thee, both now and for evermore. Unto thee I commit my Soul and Body, as unto a faithful and wise Creator. Take me not hence, O Lord, in thine Anger, by an Earthquake or Flood, or any other sudden Calamity, but mercifully appoint me such a Time and Manner of Departure, as thou knowest to be best for me. Forgive the Sins of my past Life, grant me Support and Comfort in all Trials and Afflictions, and keep me always prepared for the Hour of Death and the Day of Judgement. Let not the Sense of thy Terrors overwhelm me with Fear and Astonishment, or destroy my Hope in thy Mercy, nor the Knowledge of thy Mercy encourage me to Presumption and groundless Confidence: Grant that I may judge of myself as thou judgest of me, and be always careful to have a Conscience void of Offence towards thee, and towards all Men. Create in me a strong and lively Faith in thee, and in thy Son Jesus Christ. Subdue in me all sinful Thoughts and Desires; wean me from the Vanities of the World; fill me with devout and heavenly Affections; confirm, increase, and perfect in me every good Disposition and Temper; and grant that my whole Life and Conversation may be so ordered and governed by the Grace of thy Holy Spirit, that no Temptation may turn me aside from thee, or deprive me of thy Love and Favour: But whether I live, let me live unto thee, or whether I die, let me die unto thee, through Jesus Christ, my blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

III.

A

Lmighty God, who hast visited the World with Earthquakes, Floods, and other Tokens of thy Vengeance, continue thy Mercy to me, and to all others whose Lives thou hast hitherto spared and preserved. Make us so truly repent of our Sins, that thine Anger may be turned away from us; comfort and support us in this Time of Danger and Distress; Fit and prepare us for every Trial which thy Providence shall bring upon us; and grant that we may live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present World; that when thou shalt call us to Death and Judgment, we may be found acceptable in thy Sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

_____________________________________

IV.

Three Prayers to be used either by a private Person, or by a Family, in any Place where an Earthquake has a little before been felt, or after such Appearances in the Sky, or other Signs, as seem to threaten them with immediate Danger.

M

OST gracious God, who hast now warned us to apprehend the near Approach of sudden and violent Death, look down with thy tenderest Compassion upon us thy sinful Creatures; and let thy merciful Kindness speedily help and deliver us, for the Sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

V.

O

 Most holy Lord God, who sparest when we deserve Punishment, and in thy Wrath thinkest upon Mercy, assist and relieve all Orders and Degrees of Men among us, in this Time of Danger and Distress, according to their several Necessities. Turn the Hearts of the hardened and obstinate Sinners; pardon and restore all who truly repent of their Sins; comfort the fearful and weak-hearted, and vouchsafe to us all that Measure of thy Grace, which may deliver us from the Corruptions of our frail and sinful Nature, and enable us to triumph over Death and the Grave, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

VI.

O

 Almighty God, save and defend us, if it be thy blessed Will, from the Danger which threatens us. But if the Hour of our Departure be at Hand, let thy Holy Spirit strengthen, assist, and support us under this our last and greatest Trial. Pardon all the Sins which we have committed against thee by Thought, Word, and Deed; Extinguish in us all Remains of sinful Desire and Affection; Receive us to thy Mercy, and grant that in the last Day we may be presented faultless before thee with exceeding great Joy, through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

VII.

A Prayer of Preparation for Death, to be used by a private Person.

O

 Almighty God, Maker and Judge of all Men, have Mercy upon me, thy weak and sinful Creature; and if by thy most wise and righteous Appointment the Hour of Death be approaching towards me, enable me to meet it with a Mind fully prepared for it, and to pass through this great and awful Trial in the Manner most profitable for me. O let me not leave any thing undone which may help to make my Departure safe and happy, or to qualify me for the highest Degree of thy Favour that I am capable of obtaining. Pardon the Sins which I have committed against thee by Thought, Word, and Deed, and all my Neglects of Duty. Pardon the Sins which I have committed against my Neighbour; and if others have wronged or offended me, incline my Heart freely and fully to forgive them, and do thou forgive them also. Cleanse my Soul from all its Corruptions, and transform it into the Likeness of thy Son Jesus Christ; that being clothed with his Righteousness, and accepted through the Merits of his Death, I may behold thy Face in Glory, and be made Partaker of thy heavenly Kingdom. And, O merciful Father, give me that Supply of spiritual Comfort, which thou seest needful for me in my present Condition: And grant that, when my Change comes, I may die with a quiet Conscience, with a well-grounded Assurance of thy Favour, and a joyful Hope of a blessed Resurrection, through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

VIII.

A Prayer to be used on Occasion of Damage done by a Flood.

O

 Lord God, who seest the Loss and Damage which the Overflowing of Waters has brought on this and other Places, have Pity on all who are in danger of suffering by this Calamity. Prevent, if it be thy blessed Will, the farther Increase and Continuance of it, and keep it from being hurtful to our Dwellings, our Lands, and other Possessions. Give thy Grace to all who have suffered or shall suffer Loss, that they may bear their Lot with Patience and Contentment, improve their worldly Afflictions to their spiritual Advantage, and stir up the Minds of others to relieve their Necessities. Suffer not any of us to waste that portion of Wealth which thou preservest to us, in Luxury, Intemperance, or Profuseness; but make us to delight in good Works, and chearfully to contribute to the Support of those who are in Want and Distress; that when thou shalt call us to give an Account of the Talents which thou hast given us, we may be accepted by thee as good and faithful Servants, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

_____________________________________

IX.

A Thanksgiving for a Person escaped from great Danger of Death.

O

 My most merciful God and Saviour, I bless thee, I praise thee, I give Thanks unto thee, for the great Deliverance which thou hast vouchsafed me. What Return can I make for thy Goodness towards me, but the Services of that Life which thou hast thus graciously preserved? Services, which were due to thee by numberless Obligations before this new Instance of thy Mercy was shown to me. O grant that I may express my Thankfulness to thee by a chearful and constant Obedience to all thy Laws and Commands, and so employ the Time which thou allowest for my Continuance in this World, as shall be most for thy Glory and the Salvation of my own Soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

_____________________________________

X.

A Prayer for a Person who has lost Friends or Possessions by the Effects of an Earthquake or Flood.

O

 Most gracious Lord God, who makest all things work together for Good to those who love and obey thee, give thy Grace, I beseech thee, to me and to all others whom thou hast afflicted by the Loss of Friends, the Loss of Possessions, or of any other worldly Comfort. Thou hast given, and thou hast taken away; blessed be thy holy Name. Glory be to thee for our Deliverance from Death, and for that Measure of the Necessaries and Conveniences of Life which we still enjoy. Make us truly thankful for these thy Mercies; make us patient and contented under all thy Dealings towards us; sanctify our temporal Losses to the Good of our Souls; give us that Portion of outward Blessings which thou knowest to be best for us; and grant, that beholding the Vanity and Uncertainty of all earthly Satisfactions, we may there fix our Hearts where true Joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

_____________________________________

XI.

For a Person who has led a wicked Life, and desires to reform.

O

 Most gracious Lord God, have Mercy upon me thy sinful Creature, and forgive the many and great Offences which I have committed against thy divine Majesty. I thank thee, O Lord, that thou hast not cut me off in the midst of my Sins, but hast afforded me Time to reflect on my past Life, and to intreat thy Grace and Mercy. O continue this thy Goodness towards me, allowing me yet farther Space for a full and effectual Repentance and an intire Amendment of Life. Strengthen my faint Resolutions and Purposes, assist my weak Endeavours, and subdue my unruly Will and Affections by the Power of thy Holy Spirit. Make me careful to avoid every thing displeasing to thee, and keep me particularly from those Sins to which I am most inclined and accustomed: And grant, that being cleansed, renewed, and perfected by thy Grace, I may yield a ready Obedience to all thy Commandments, through Jesus Christ, my blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

FINIS.

---

[1] James Merrick (1720–1769) was an English poet and scholar; M.A. Trinity College, Oxford, 1742: fellow, 1745: ordained, but lived in college. It is said that "[h]e entered into holy orders, but never could engage in parochial duty, from being subject to excessive pains in his head". (Thomas Campbell, Specimens of the British Poets: With Biographical and Critical Notices (1855), p. 523.) He published poems, including The Chameleon; translated from the Greek and advocated the compilation and amalgamation of indexes to the principal Greek authors; versified the Psalms, several editions of which were set to music. His work was featured in Oxford religious poetry anthologies.]

[2] The Great Lisbon Earthquake, 1^st November 1755.]

* Jonah, Ch. iii. V. 9.

Terrible Earthquake in Christchurch

"And at that hour there was made a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell..."

—Apocalypse xi, 13

I learnt while at work that a terrible earthquake struck Christchurch just before 1 pm N.Z. time; it was horrible to see the images and read of the havoc and death.  Having only visited the city in January, thinking matters safe after the initial earthquake struck back in early September last year, it horrified me more than ever – I pray especially for the friends I made in Christchurch, that they be safe and sound.

(UPDATE: I've just heard from my friends, who live in Rangiora to the north of the city, and they are mercifully unharmed, thanks be, though they know another family whose home is wrecked...)

At least sixty-five lie dead, many killed by falling masonry.  While buildings are as nothing compared to people, it is sad to see that the Anglican Cathedral's famous spire has collapsed (with fears many died in its fall), the beautiful Catholic Cathedral is half fallen-in, and probably will have to be demolished, and the historic Provincial Buildings now lie in ruins.

Please pray for the people of Christchurch, those slain and those who survive; pray for the rescue-workers and for all whom must now renew their labours to rebuild.

Kyrie eleison.  Christe eleison.  Kyrie eleison.
Pater noster…
V/.  Et ne nos inducas in tentationem.
R/.  Sed libera nos a malo.
V/.  Salvos fac servos tuos.
R/.  Deus meus, sperantes in te.
V/.  Mitte eis, Domine, auxilium de sancto.
R/.  Et de Sion tuere eos.
R/.  Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R/.  Et clamor meus ad te veniat.
Oremus.


Lord, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.
Our Father..
V/.  And lead us not into temptation.
R/.  But deliver us from evil.
V/.  Save Thy servants and handmaids.
R/.  My God, who hope in Thee.
V/.  Send unto them, O Lord, help from Thy holy place.
R/.  And from Sion protect them.
R/.  O Lord, hear my prayer.
R/.  And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let us pray.

From the Traditional Roman Missal, the Votive Prayers in time of earthquake:

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui respicis terram, et facis eam tremere: parce metuentibus, propitiare supplicibus; ut, cujus iram terræ fundamenta concutientem expavimus, clementiam contritiones ejus sanantem jugiter sentiamus.  Per Christum Dominum nostrum.  Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, "Who lookest down upon the earth and makest it tremble" (Ps 103:32a), spare those who are afraid, show Thy mercy to those who implore Thee; that we who fear Thine anger, which shaketh the foundations of the earth, may evermore enjoy Thy mercy, which healeth its commotions.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Deus, qui fundasti terram super stabilitatem suam, suscipe [oblationes et] preces populi tui: ac trementis terræ periculis penitus amotis, divinæ tuæ iracundiæ terrores, in humanæ salutis remedia converte; ut, qui de terra sunt, et in terram revertentur, gaudeant se fieri sancta conversatione in cælestes.  Per Christum Dominum nostrum.  Amen.

O God, "Who didst establish the earth on firm foundations" (Ps 103:5a), receive the [offerings and] prayers of Thy people, and by wholly removing the perils of earthquake, turn the terrors of Thy divine anger into healing remedies for mankind: that those who are of the earth and to the earth shall return (cf. Genesis 3:19), may rejoice in becoming citizens of heaven by the holiness of their lives.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Tuere nos, Domine, quæsumus, [tua sancta sumentes:] et terram, quam vidimus nostris iniquitatibus trementem, superno munere firma; ut mortalium corda cognoscant, et te indignante talia flagella prodire, et te miserante cessare.  Per Christum Dominum nostrum.  Amen.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, to keep us, [who receive Thy holy mysteries,] and by Thy heavenly power make firm the earth, which we see trembling because of our sins; that men may know in their hearts that these scourges come from Thy wrath and cease by Thy mercy. Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Saints to be invoked against earthquakes:

• St Agatha, Virgin and Martyr;
• St Amatus, Bishop of Nusco;
• St Emidius (Emygdius), Bishop and Martyr;
• St Francis Borgia, Confessor - named patron saint against earthquakes in 1756;
• St Gregory Thaumaturgus, Bishop and Confessor.

The people of Cuzco venerate an ancient crucifix as Señor de los Tremblores (Lord of the Earthquakes):

A flagello terræmotus, libera nos, Domine.

From the scourge of earthquake, O Lord, deliver us.

Prayer in Time of Floods

"So let every good man pray to you in the time of need. The floods of water may reach high but him they shall not reach." (Ps 31(32):6)

Again from the Psalms, inspired as they are by the Holy Ghost, and so teaching us how to pray:

Psalm 69(68):2-3,16

Salvum me fac, Deus: * quoniam intraverunt aquæ usque ad animam meam.

Infixus sum in limo profundi: * et non est substantia.

Veni in altitudinem maris: * et tempestas demersit me.

Non me demergat tempestas aquæ, neque absorbeat me profundum: * neque urgeat super me puteus os suum.

Save me, O God: * for the waters are come in even unto my soul.

I stick fast in the mire of the deep: * and there is no sure standing.

I am come into the depth of the sea: * and a tempest hath overwhelmed me.

Let not the tempest of water drown me, nor the deep swallow me up: * and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

From the Anglican Patrimony:

From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine, 

Good Lord, deliver us.  (BDW)

O ALMIGHTY Lord God, who for the sin of man didst once drown all the world, except eight persons, and afterward of thy great mercy didst promise never to destroy it so again; We humbly beseech thee, that although we for our iniquities have worthily deserved a plague of rain and waters, yet upon our true repentance thou wilt send us such weather, as that we may receive the fruits of the earth in due season; and learn both by thy punishment to amend our lives, and for thy clemency to give thee praise and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  (1662 BCP)

Birth-day Prayer

Jeremy Taylor provides this apt prayer to mark my day of birth; to which is subjoined a further:

A Prayer to be said upon our Birth-day, or Day of Baptism.

O blessed and eternal God, I give thee praise and glory for thy great mercy to me in causing me to be born of Christian parents.  Thou didst not allot to me a portion with misbelievers and heathen that have not known thee. Thou didst not suffer me to be strangled at the gate of the womb, but thy hand sustained and brought me to the light of the world, and the illumination of baptism, with thy grace preventing my election, and by an artificial necessity and holy prevention engaging me to the profession and practices of Christianity. Lord, since that, I have broken the promises made in my behalf, and which I confirmed by my after-act; I went back from them by an evil life; and yet thou hast still continued to me life and time of repentance; and didst not cut me off in the beginning of my days, and the progress of my sins. O dearest God, pardon the errors and ignorances, the vices and vanities, of my youth, and the faults of my more forward years, and let me never more stain the whiteness of my baptismal robe; and now that by thy grace I still persist in the purpose of obedience, and do give up my name to Christ, and glory to be a disciple of thy institution, and a servant of Jesus, let me never fail of thy grace; let no root or bitterness spring up and disorder my purposes, nor defile my spirit. O let my years be so many degrees of nearer approach to thee; and forsake me not, O God, in my old age, when I am grey-headed; and when my strength faileth me, be thou my strength and my guide unto death; that I may reckon my years, and apply my heart unto wisdom; and at last, after the spending a holy and a blessed life, I may be brought unto a glorious eternity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then may be added this thanksgiving:

O holy and almighty God, Father of mercies, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of thy love and eternal mercies, I adore and praise and glorify thy infinite and unspeakable love and wisdom, who hast sent thy Son from the bosom of felicities to take upon him our nature and our misery and our guilt, and hast made the Son of God to become the Son of man, that we might become the Sons of God, and partakers of the Divine nature; since thou hast so exalted human nature, be pleased also to sanctify my person, that by a conformity to the humility and laws, and sufferings of my dearest Saviour, I may be united to his Spirit, and be made all one with the most holy Jesus. Amen.

O holy and eternal Jesus, who didst pity mankind lying in his blood, and sin, and misery, and didst choose our sadnesses and sorrows that thou mightest make us to partake of thy felicities; let thine eyes pity me, thy hands support me, thy holy feet tread down all the difficulties in my way to heaven; let me dwell in thy heart, be instructed with thy wisdom, moved by thy affections, choose with thy will, and be clothed with thy righteousness; that, in the day of judgment, I may be found having on thy garments, sealed with thy impression; and that bearing upon every faculty and member the character of my elder brother, I may not be cast out with strangers and unbelievers. Amen.

O holy and ever-blessed Spirit, who didst overshadow the holy Virgin-mother of our Lord, and caused her to conceive by a miraculous and mysterious manner, be pleased to overshadow my soul, and enlighten my spirit, that I may conceive the holy Jesus in my heart, and may bear him in my mind, and may grow up to the fulness of the stature of Christ, to be a perfect man in Christ Jesus. Amen.

To God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the eternal Son that was incarnate and born of a virgin, to the Spirit of the Father and the Son be all honour and glory, worship and adoration, now and for ever. Amen.

All Relics

Like Gollum, I consider some things very precious: such as my collection of second- and third-class relics.  Ever deserve they to be kissed and revered, for in doing so I pay veneration to the spirits of just men made perfect, one day to rise again in glory (may I be numbered amongst them), and ultimately refer all honour and glory to Him, our King Christ, Who elected them and made them holy by His most Precious Blood.

As a layman, of course, I can hardly lay claim to any great hoard of sacred remains: it would hardly be fitting if I had such; for Canon Law prescribes that a bishop's permission is needed for to have first class relics, I recall.  (Yet I knew a priest who kept relics of all the apostles in a shoebox under his bed!  And a former seminarian of my acquaintance had known "a corrupt nun at the relics' office" from whom he had obtained many valuable relics which he shouldn't have had.  But worst of all was the American seminarian in Rome who was dismissed in the late nineties for forging relics out of animal bones and selling them to gullible countrymen of his.)

The relics:

• Of Bl Columba Marmion, abbot (feast day: 3rd Oct.) – attached to a holy card, a piece of cloth labelled "A piece of the Religious habit worn by Blessed Columba Marmion" (2nd class);
• Of St Dominic, priest, founder of the Dominicans (4th Aug.) – attached to a holy card, a piece of cloth labelled "Cloth which has touched the Head of St. Dominic" (3rd cl.);
• Of St Antony Mary Zaccaria, priest, founder of the Barnabites (5th July) – attached to a holy card, a piece of cloth labelled pannolino che toccò le ossa di S. Antonio M. Zaccaria (3rd cl.);
• Of St Pio of Pietrelcina, priest, O.F.M.Cap. (23rd Sep.) – attached to a holy card, a piece of cloth labelled "third class relic" (3rd cl.);
• Of St Martin de Porres, O.P. (5th Nov.) – attached to a holy card, a piece of cloth labelled "Linen touched to his body" (3rd cl.);
• St Peregrine, priest, Servite (1st May) – attached to a medal, a piece of cloth labelled "relic" (prob. 3rd cl.);
• St Catherine of Siena, virgin (30th April) – attached to a medal, a piece of cloth labelled reliquia (probably 3rd cl.);
• St Faustina, virgin (5th Oct.) – attached to a holy card, a unlabelled piece of cloth (prob. 3rd cl.);
• St Thérèse of Lisieux, virgin, O.C.D. (3rd Oct.) – attached to a medal, a small unlabelled piece of cloth (prob. 3rd cl.); and, attached to a holy card, a small piece of cloth labelled "cloth touched to relic of St Thérèse" (3rd cl.);
• Bl Maria Sagrario of St Louis Gonzaga, virgin & martyr, O.C.D. (16th Aug.) – attached to a holy card, a small unlabelled piece of cloth (prob. 3rd cl.).

Out of curiosity I have compiled this list of these relics I have; they repose with icons, crucifix and candles on the makeshift altar (or, as the Russians would have it, in the "beautiful corner", the krasnyy ugol, красный угол) in my study, in front of my prie-dieu.  What prayer to pray?  That said by the priest when kissing the altar at the start of Mass, Oramus te, or, more anciently, Oro te - in either case, perhaps changing to the plural at the end to pray for all; or perhaps that used of old likewise at the farewell osculation of the altar; and of course the Collect for the feast of All Relics, observed in sundry places on this very day, the 5th of November:

Oramus [Oro] te, Domine, per merita Sanctorum tuorum, quorum reliquiæ hic sunt, et omnium Sanctorum, ut indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea [nostra].  Amen.

(We [I] pray thee, Lord, by the merits of Thy Saints, whose relics are here, and of all the Saints, that Thou wouldst deign to forgive all my [our] sins.  Amen.)

Meritis et intercessionibus istorum et omnium Sanctorum suorum misereatur nobis omnipotens Dominus.

(By the merits and intercessions of these and of all His Saints, may the Lord almighty have mercy upon us.)

Auge in nobis, Domine, resurrectionis fidem, qui in Sanctorum tuorum reliquiis mirabilia operaris: et fac nos immortalis gloriæ participes, cujus in eorum cineribus pignora veneramur.  Per...

(Increase in us, O Lord, faith in the resurrection, Who dost work wonders by the relics of Thy Saints: and make us partakers of that immortal glory, a pledge of which we venerate in their ashes.  Through...)