Frailty


Let us pray (in silence) [that we and the whole church may be kept by God's love]

pause

God of grace and goodness,
you know that by reason of our frailty we cannot but fail;
keep us always under your protection
and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation;

through Jesus Christ our Lord
who is alive with with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.

NZPB p. 571b

The old monk was asked, "what do the monks do here in this monastery?" To this he replied, "We fall, we get up. We fall, we get up. We fall, we get up." It is a story just as applicable to ordinary Christian life. Another version has it ending with variations of "...one day we fall and we get up in heaven."

This Gelasian Collect for Trinity 15 in the Sarum Missal read, "Custodi, Domine, quaesumus, ecclesiam tuam propitiatione perpetua: et quia sine te labitur humana mortalitas, tuis semper auxiliis et abstrahatur a noxis et ad salutaria dirigatur."

Cranmer translated this for 1549 (Epiphany 5) as:
KEPE we beseche thee, O Lorde, thy Churche with thy perpetuall mercye: and because the frailtie of man without thee, cannot but fall: Kepe us ever by thy helpe, and leade us to al thynges profitable to our salvacion; through Jesus Christe our Lorde. Amen.

The 1662 revisers restored "for all things hurtful" (lost again in the collect at the top):
KEEP, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy; and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

International readers of this page may echo my surprise: I cannot find this collect revised in any Anglican prayer books except New Zealand's! Do let me know if your province's revised prayer book has it. Just when the church needs all the prayer it can get - as well as acknowledgment of our frailty! Roman Catholics have this collect tucked away for Tuesday in the second week of Lent, where ICEL has it translated as:
Lord watch over your Church and guide it with Your unfailing love. Protect us from what could harm us and lead us to what will save us. Help us always, for without You we are bound to fail. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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