The Latin Collect
Protector in te sperantium, Deus, sine quo nihil est validum, nihil sanctum: multiplica super nos misericordiam tuam; ut te rectore, te duce, sic transeamus per bona temporalia, ut non amitamus aeterna.
The 1549 Collect
GOD the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothyng is strong, nothing is holy; increase and multiply upon us thy mercye; that thou being our ruler and guyde, we may so passe through thinges temporall, that we fynally lose not the thinges eternall: Graunt this heavenly father, for Jesu Christes sake our Lorde.
Commentary
Archbishop Cranmer translated this collect from the Gregorian Sacramentary. It is found in the Tridentine Canon for the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost.
Reflection
What power do we human beings have of ourselves? There are times when we look at our abilities, at those talents of which we are proud, and we realise how worthless they are. There are times in our lives when we seem to unable to do anything right. Our failures can often be more memorable than our successes. Why is this?
If we persist in looking only at ourselves then this is all we will see. We will only see those things which make us wince and shudder. We only get a distorted vision of ourselves.
And then we pray this prayer and we see the Source of our perfection. By refocusing our attention on the Divine do we realise that all things work together for good to those who love God. Our deeds will pass away along with their squalid imperfections, but their honest efforts in building up our faithful relationship with our Master will only help us find an Eternal home with Him.
-------------------------------------Jonathan Munn
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