The Prayer for the Whole State of Christ's Church is one of the great prayers of Anglicanism, and it is also a prayer that enjoys many different versions since being published in the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549. How to conclude this prayer is one of the serious tasks for anyone who desires to revise the Book of Divine Worship as the form in the BDW is something less than the best version of this prayer. First, let us consider what we find in the Book of Divine Worship:
... any other adversity.
(Additional petitions and thanksgivings may be included here.)
And we also bless thy holy Name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear [especially N.…], beseeching thee to be merciful and grant them fulness of joy in thy love and service; and to grant us grace so to follow the good examples of the Blessed Virgin Mary, [of Saint N.], and of all thy saints, that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom. Grant these our prayers, O Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
The BDW version is adequate, but it leaves me wanting more of that tradition and heritage we are being invited to save and bring forward into the Book of Divine Worship through Pope Benedict's most generous and gracious invitation in Anglicanorum coetibus. In the first Book of Common Prayer (1549) we read a conclusion well beloved by many in the Anglican Communion and among us Catholics of Anglican identity and heritage:
And here we do give unto thee most high praise and hearty thanks, for the wonderful grace and virtue, declared in all thy saints, from the beginning of the world : and chiefly in the most glorious and Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of thy Son Iesu Christ our Lord and God, and in the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles and Martyrs, whose examples (O Lord) and steadfastness in thy faith, and keeping thy holy commandments, grant us to follow. We commend unto thy mercy (O Lord) all other thy servants, which are departed hence from us, with the sign of faith, and now do rest in the sleep of peace: Grant unto them, we beseech thee, thy mercy, and everlasting peace, and that at the day of the general resurrection, we and all they which be of the mystical body of thy son, may altogether be set on his right hand, and hear that his most joyful voice: Come unto me, O ye that be blessed of my father, and possess the kingdom, which is prepared for you, from the beginning of the world: Grant this, O Father for Jesus Christ's sake our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
I confess that for me the 1549 form of this prayer has always been the form to prefer over all others. Nonetheless, there are interesting developments with quite elegant solutions to the question of how to end this great prayer. Some may not realise that the 1549 BCP was something of a persona non grata in the Anglican Communion because of objections from the rather strident most protestant wing of the Anglican Church. As a consequence post-Elizabethan revisers of Prayer Books have had to tread carefully so as not to raise too much ire from the anti-catholics in the Anglican Church.
We get a window into these pressures upon revisers through the draft Prayer Book known as The Durham Book and the great caution taken by revisers in not going too far for the 'evangelical' wing. Starting with the 1619 Edition of the Book of Common Prayer (beloved by none) Bishop Cosin and the revisers desired to improve upon the 1619 version of this prayer known then as the Prayer for Christ's Church militant. The revisers left us an important note as to why they inteded to expand the Prayer from the form in which they had received it. In Part. 51 we read this note:
We get a window into these pressures upon revisers through the draft Prayer Book known as The Durham Book and the great caution taken by revisers in not going too far for the 'evangelical' wing. Starting with the 1619 Edition of the Book of Common Prayer (beloved by none) Bishop Cosin and the revisers desired to improve upon the 1619 version of this prayer known then as the Prayer for Christ's Church militant. The revisers left us an important note as to why they inteded to expand the Prayer from the form in which they had received it. In Part. 51 we read this note:
In ye Beginning of ye Prayer for ye State of Christ's Church militant, there be these words, (sett as Preface to what is intended to follow, & to have Relation thereunto,) Which hast taught us to Give Thanks for all men; & accordingly, in the old forme of this prayer sett forth in K. Edward's time, such Thanks were given, yt one part of the prayer might be correspondent to ye other. But here in our forme, ye Thanksgiving is omitted, & yet ye preface of Giving Thanks is suffered to stand still; being indeed forgotten to be put out. Therfore it either now to be taken away, or els the former (or the like) Thanksgiving ought to be added unto the prayer: for otherwise wee say to God, (in effect) that though he hath taught us to give Thanks for all men, yet wee thinke fitt to let it alone.
The expansion of the prayer as proposed is now well known in most parts, and I quote as it appears in The Durham Book (Being the First Draft of the Revision of the Book of Common Prayer in 1661) (ed. G.J. Cumming, Oxford, 1961) starting with the text printed in italics from the 1619 Book:
And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour all them which in this transitory life be in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity: And we also bless thy holy Name for all those thy Servants, who having finished their course in faith do now rest from their labours,. And we yield unto thee most high praise and hearty thanks for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in all thy Saints, who have been the choice Vessels of thy Grace, and the Lights of the World in their several Generations; most humbly beseeching thee, that we may have grace to follow the example of their steadfastness in thy faith, and obedience to thy holy Commandments, that at the day of the general Resurrection, we and all they which are of the mystical Body of they Son, may be set on his right Hand, and hear that his most joyful voice, "Come ye Blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World.". Grant this, O Father for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate Amen.
The revisers' notes in the Durham Book made mention of the Scottish Liturgy of their era and its Prayer as a model for how to correct the prayers deficiencies. So now we turn toward Scotland and the magnificent Scottish Liturgy in The Book of Common Prayer 1929 (Scottish Episcopal Church) where the conclusion to the Prayer for the Whole State of Christ's Church reads as follows:
And we yield unto thee most high praise and hearty thanks, for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in all thy Saints, who have been the choice vessels of thy grace, and the lights of the world in their several generations: (and chiefly in the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord and God, and in the Holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs,) beseeching thee to give us grace to follow the example of their stedfastness in thy faith, and obedience to thy holy commandments, that at the day of the general resurrection, we, and all they who are of the mystical body of thy Son, may be set on his right hand, and hear his most joyful voice, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
In the Korean Anglican 1962 Holy Eucharist translated into English, we read:
And here we do give unto thee O Lord, most high praise and hearty thanks for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in all thy saints, and chiefly in the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs: beseeching thee to give us grace to follow their good examples in steadfastness of faith and in keeping of thy commandments. And we commend to thy gracious keeping, O Lord, all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear, who now rest in the sleep of peace, beseeching thee to grant them mercy, peace, and light, both now and in the day of resurrection. Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
Now to step back a few years to the 1954 Order for Holy Eucharist of the Anglican Church in the British West Indies or the 1954 Order for Holy Communion of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa where a slightly different note is sounded .. aspiration to be gathered into the Kingdom of Heaven as the longing of those who are interceding in prayer:
And here we do give unto thee most high praise and hearty thanks for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in all thy Saints; chiefly in the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, and in the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs; beseeching thee to give us grace that we, rejoicing in the Communion of thy Saints, and following their good examples, may be partakers with them of thy heavenly kingdom: Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. R. Amen.
The Melanesian Prayer Book of 1938 would expand the final line to make this prayer explicitly Trinitarian "Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake, our only Mediator and Advocate; Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
There are of course many modern versions of this conclusion, and I close this post with what one may encounter in Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe in the new rite of 1976. Here these sentiments are placed into very simple English for a province of the Anglican Communion where many will not have English for their mother tongue and where the Anglican Church offers its worship in several languages:
We remember all who have died . . . . . . . . . .
(Silence may be kept.)We commend all men, the living and the dead, to your unfailing love. We bless and praise you for the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of our Lord, for the patriarchs, prophets, apostles and martyrs, and for all your saints (especially . . . . . whom we remember today). We pray that we may share with them in your eternal kingdom.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers,
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
What then do I suggest for a revision of The Book of Divine Worship? That, dear reader, I shall reveal in a forthcoming post, but until then I hope you will consider this prayer -- often read as a Litany these days or simply omitted in favour of something far too short as an expression of the General Intercession of God's Faithful People -- and ask the question, Which is the best way to conclude this great prayer for our lives as Roman Catholics of the Anglican Patrimony and does this text deserve pride of place among the other forms of Intercession at the Mass?
+Kyrie eleison imas.
