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Prayer Book revisions saw the original Prayer of Humble Access docked by degree (putting "Holy Mysteries" to the axe first) until in the American Episcopalian Prayer Book of 1979 the text was finally shorn of some very important phrases involving the Body and Precious Blood of Our Lord. Very sadly this is the version one finds in the current Book of Divine Worship and to which I will devote no reprinting space here. The Prayer of Humble Access in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549, is as follows:
We do not presume to come to this thy table (o mercifull lord) trusting in our owne righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies: we be not woorthie so much as to gather up the cromes under thy table: but thou art the same lorde whose propertie is alwayes to haue mercie: Graunt us therefore (gracious lorde) so to eate the flesh of thy dere sonne Jesus Christ, and to drynke his bloud in these holy Misteries that we may continuallye dwell in hym, and he in us, that our synfull bodyes may bee made cleane by his body, and our soules washed through hys most precious bloud. Amen.It would be easy to suggest that this is the proper form to use in the revision with the spelling updated to the British world standard of spelling. Obviously, the British standard should be the spelling convention for all of the Ordinariates including the North American one.
With liturgical revision in the works perhaps someone will forward this post to those entrusted with the revision of the Book of Divine Worship and other rites. Having inquired at length there is no official mechanism for the laity to contribute to the process by making a recommendation to this "Working Group".
As my readers know I oppose any process for the Ordinariates or the Anglican Use Parishes that does not collaborate and consult the Laity who will be saddled with the revisions. Whilst Roman Catholics have no concept of the consent of the governed touching upon such things, such an issue is a very significant matter for Anglicans who have found haven from the liturgical and polity wars of the Anglican Communion.
For some it is true that it is haven enough to trust the True Church at work. But in the long run it is short-sighted of Ordinaries and Authorities in Rome to proceed without a process that invites parochial participation and the collaboration of the clergy, religious, and especially the Laity in Christ. We know how to do this, and after all our numbers are small at this time.
I have spent some years searching out all of the various official and unofficial versions of the Prayer of Humble Access which can be found in Anglican service books, Lutheran service books in North America, and various Presbyterian and Methodist books of prayer and hymnals.
The average standard is that found in the US BCP 1928 and related books, but it would be a pity simply to punt with the 1662 BCP and not look beyond it to the strong liturgical contributions found in the composition of this prayer and its editing. Also, the 1662/1928 version no longer enjoys common recollection among us unless we are over 50 years of age or coming from a place using the older liturgical books.
What follows below is my version of the Prayer of Humble Access -- a synthesis of various approaches together with an original idea. The first part of the prayer i normal typeface is unfailingly the same in every traditional sacred language version of the Prayer. What needs to be considered is found in the second portion of the prayer in boldface : the boldface is used to highlight this but not to indicate a division in the participation of the Celebrant and that of the whole congregation:
We do not presume to come to this thy Table,
O merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness
but in thy manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy
so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table,
but thou art the same Lord
whose property is always to have mercy.
In these Holy Mysteries,
grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ
and to drink his Blood
that, made clean by his Body
and washed through his most Precious Blood,
we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
The other worthy alternative is the original version of the Prayer of Humble Access found in the 1954 edition of the CSI Liturgy which follows:
WE do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his Blood, that our sinful bodies and souls may be made clean by his most precious Body and Blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
Should the CSI version be elected, I would suggest altering 'sinful bodies and souls' to 'souls and bodies'. This slight alteration would reflect the language of the traditional BCP Eucharistic Prayer which is lost language in the BDW ... "souls and bodies" rather than "sinful bodies and souls".
Any revision is awkward for the tongue when another form is known, but that we may have an excellent version for our children's children that does not merely reflect our tastes and preference for what we know in our personal experience but rather reaches up to the Lord with the best we can muster, I encourage us all to embrace either form of this prayer -- mine or the amended CSI version -- as the version we gift to the Church and the future generations of our children and converts yet to come.
+Parce mihi, Domine.
