Daily Gleaning - It Begins with the Family

Today's Collect Prayer presents a good illustration of the perspective of Morning and Evening Prayer. The author (Thomas Cranmer) begins by identifying who is doing the praying: "This thy family." Only afterwards does he then expand the prayer to matters of the "thy holy Church", and finally to persons those outside the Church that "should be converted and live." Indeed, he constructs this Collect as three separate prayers, each with its own 'amen'.

Let it never be said that Morning and Evening Prayer is not the bread and butter of Anglican piety or that the liturgy is not designed primarily for use in the home.  

ALMIGHTY God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified; Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all estates of men in thy holy Church, that every member of the same, in his vocation and ministry may truly and godly serve thee; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

O MERCIFUL God, who hast made all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, nor wouldest the death of a sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live; Have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word; and so fetch them home, blessed Lord, to thy flock, that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites, and be made one fold under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.