Orthodox Prayers of Old England

[Harpazo]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I discovered this prayerbook produced by St. John Cassian Press recently and I am going to order it when I get paid next. It is a compilation of translated prayers from England by an Orthodox hieromonk (priest monk) in the Orthodox Church, including the Sarum liturgy and much of what goes along with it (the Hours, others prayers, etc.)

You might be wondering why an Orthodox priest would be promoting a book like this. Well, he along with other clergy in the Russian Orthodox Church are allowed to celebrate ancient western liturgies and rites approved by the Russian Church. Fr. Aidan (the translator and compiler of the prayerbook with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion) is a major proponent of what is called “Western Rite Orthodoxy” that is to say the Western heritage that the united Church shared before the East/West schism.

Needless to say, it’s a pretty complete prayerbook with very, very traditional prayers, liturgies and rites. I would venture to guess that all of it would be compatible for a traditional Catholic to use, but of course that would be up to what your priest and bishop would say. If anything, those interested in liturgical matters and liturgical history would find this to be a great book to have. If anyone is interested in ordering one, you can do so here.
Thoughts, comments?

In Christ,
Andrew

N.B I’m posting the contents of the prayerbook in the post below this one because it would not all fit into one post.

 

[Harpazo]

Below is the contents of the prayerbook:

• Basic Prayers
• Morning Prayers
• Evening Prayers
• Table Blessings
• Reverences in Church
• Preparation for Holy Communion
• Order of Divine Services on Sundays and Feasts
• Prayers before the Divine Office
• Vespers for Sat., Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed., Thur., Fri.
• Compline (for reg. days, feasts, Our Lady)
• Matins and Lauds for Sundays
• Terce / Third Hour
• Sun. Water Blessing, Sprinkling, and Procession with Bidding Prayers
• Divine Liturgy (Sarum Mass, incl. Hierarchical items) + Bread Blessing
• Thanksgiving after Holy Communion
• Notes About the Mass (patristic origin of different prayers, spiritual interpretation of the service)
• Sext / Sixth Hour
• Nones / Ninth Hour
• Presanctified Mass (for Lenten weekdays)
• Missa Sicca (Western Rite typika)
• Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, incl. all things added for Hierarchical
• Gaelic Litany of the Holy Virgin Mary
• Litany of the Saints with Final Collects
• Jesus Prayer
• Salutations Before the Holy Cross
• Prayers of Remembrance (memoriser or intercession)
• Seven Penitential Psalms
• Fifteen Gradual Psalms with Collects
• Little Office of the Holy Virgin Mary (Vespers, Compline, Matins, Hours, etc.)
• Little Office of the Guardian Angel (Vespers, Compline, Matins, Hours, etc.)
• Priest’s Visit to a Mother Newly Delivered
• Blessing of New Mothers (churching)
• Order of the Catechumenate / Holy Baptism / Chrismation / Tonsure
• Repentance (explanations)
• Guide to Confession (extremely complete examination of conscience)
• Order of Confession
• Betrothals (notes, banns, betrothals proper, nuptial mass, bed blessing)
• Service for Travellers
• Holy Unction (20 pages, all priest’s prayers as well as the others’ parts)
• Prayers for the Dying
• Vigils of the Dead (Vespers & Matins)
• Commendation of Souls (sung before every Requiem Mass)
• Requiem Mass
• Burial of the Dead

• Prayers for Various Occasions

1. Prayers for Those in the Church, Prayer of a Pastor, Prayers for Pastors & Archpastors, Prayer for the Faithful (2), Prayer for a Monastery, Prayer for Unity, Prayer for Catechumens

1. Prayers for Family & Friends
   General Prayer, For Those in Heresy / Schism, For Those in Judaism, For Those in Paganism, Prayer for a Living Friend, Prayer for God’s Guidance, Prayer for One Sick or Afflicted, Prayers for the Sick, Prayer for Taking Medicine, Prayer for a Pregnant Woman

1. Prayer for Benefactors

1. Prayers for Prisoners

1. For All Living & Dead

1. For the Departed

Prayers in Time of Trouble

1. Against Evil Thoughts
2. Against Temptations of the Flesh
3. For Chastity
4. Thunderstorms & Tornadoes
5. Lightning
6. Destroyers of the Church
7. Deliverance from Pagans
8. In Wartime
9. For Peace & Reconciliation
10. For the Holy Land
11. Against Gossips
12. In Afflictions

Prayers for Travel

Prayers for Good Death (of St. Melania, St. Hilary, many others)

Prayers for Fasting Days (one is for fasting on a vigil)

Prayers for Virtues and Blessings

1. For the Kingdom of Heaven (describes heaven - beautiful!)
2. For True Love
3. For Faith, Hope, and Charity
4. For Chastity
5. For Wisdom
6. For True Peace
7. For the Virtues
8. For Spiritual Life
9. For Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
10. For Courage in Nightly Fears

Prayers for Good Gifts

1. For Rain
2. For the Crops
3. For God’s Protection—the Breastplate Prayers

Prayers for the Animals

1. For Animal Friends |
2. For Sick Animals |
3. Against Infestation

Service of Thanksgiving

Prayers to the Holy Trinity

Asking the Prayers of the Saints of God

1. The Theotokos (many)
2. Holy Angels of the Lord (many)
3. Patriarchs & Prophets (many)
4. Holy Apostles (many)
5. Holy Martyrs (many)
6. Holy Confessors (many)
7. Holy Women of the Lord (many)

Prayers to the Lord with His Saints

Prayer When One is Sick

Prayer for Protection from Enemies

Prayers of Repentance

1. Of St. Jerome
2. Short Prayer
3. Of St. Martin
4. Of St. Ephraim
5. For Tears, by St. Isidore of Seville

Prayer of Exorcism of Pope St. Leo III

Order of Reading the Holy Scriptures (prayers before reading)

Abbreviations for Books of Scripture

• Read the Whole Bible in a Year (schedule includes deuterocanonical books)
• Weekly Psalter Readings (150 psalms per week, includes the canticles)
• Clear comparison of Massoretic and Vulgate/Septuagint psalm numbering
• How to Make Singing Breads (prosphora recipe, prayers)
• Fasts and Feasts (explains the fullness of the Western tradition)
• Little Calendar (gives a Saint or two for each day of year)
• Eight Tones (gives psalm tones and neums)
• Exhaustive alphabetical indices

and more.

Except for the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and the Jesus Prayer, everything is from the old tradition of the Western church. There are no modern Roman Catholic items. Many items are provided with musical notation, such as the Our Father, Te Deum, Sat. Vespers, and the 8 Tones.

Thoughts? Comments?

In Christ,
Andrew

 

[MikeDunphy]

Thoughts, comments?

It looks beautiful and good. I hope it stays in print. I can’t afford it now, but someday!

My only concern is that the text of some of the prayers *might *have been altered without comment to conform to Eastern Orthodox sensibilities. (That is just a suspicion from my limited knowledge of the Western Orthodox Mass).