A Devotion For Every Day
Thanks to Pope Benedict XVI and the Ordinariate, the Anglo-Catholic prayer tradition continues to enrich English-language prayer.
The rhythms of the Church sanctify time through regular devotions anchored deep in history. The hours, days, weeks, and months have all developed rich traditions over centuries, creating a treasures chest just waiting to be rediscovered by each generation of Catholics. I have a very long piece on the different traditions related to the months, but I already wrote one on the days of the week:
As I’ve been drawn more to the work of St. John Henry Newman and the English tradition, I’ve found many of the resources created by and for the Ordinariate parishes to be of very high quality. I’ve written about their Divine Worship: Daily Office, and believe the English tradition can only enrich Catholic worship in the anglophone world.
The Church of England cannot continue as it is. As it dies, and any notion of a via media with it, more Anglo-Catholics will see that Rome is the only path forward, and Pope Benedict XVI prophetically opened the door for them. A recent report shows that fully one-third of all new Catholic priests in the UK are being brought in as converts under Anglicanorum coetibus. This was not what Newman wished for, but it will nonetheless draw English Christendom inexorably back to Rome.
One resource that I highly recommend for Catholics who wish to reclaim this legacy is St. Gregory’s Prayer Book from Ignatius Press, Edited by Clinton A. Brand, KSG in collaboration with the various Ordinariates and the Anglicanorum Coetibus Society.
One fruit of this are the prayers for each day of the week, derived from the Collects and the English prayer book tradition. These aren’t the same as the days assigned traditionally in Catholic devotions as they developed after the Reformation. I find the lack of a day devoted the Holy Souls in Purgatory particularly disappointing, but this is easily remedied by simply adding the Prayer of St. Gertrude to Monday’s devotion:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
DEVOTIONS FOR THE DAYS OF THE WEEK
Sunday: Commemoration of the Resurrection
Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
V. In thy Resurrection, O Christ (alleluia).
R. Let heaven and earth rejoice (alleluia).
GOD, who makest us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious Resurrection of thy Son our Lord: grant us this day such blessing through our worship of thee, that the days to come may be spent in thy favour; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Monday: Commemoration of the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Ghost, and fill the hearts of thy faithful people, and kindle in them the fire of thy love.
V. Send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be made.
R. And thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
GOD, who didst reach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Tuesday: Commemoration of the Holy Angels
Angels and Archangels, Thrones and Dominations, Principalities and Powers, heavenly Virtues, praise the Lord in heaven.
V. Before the Angels will I sing praise unto thee, O my God.
R. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy Name.
EVERLASTING God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order: mercifully grant that as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven; so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Wednesday: Commemoration of the Saints
O how glorious is the kingdom in which all the Saints rejoice with Christ, and, clad in white robes, follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
V. Let the Saints be joyful in glory.
R. Let them rejoice in their beds.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast knit together thine elect in on communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ ou Lord: grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and god living; that through their intercession we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Thursday: Commemoration of the Blessed Sacrament
O Sacred Banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of Passion renewed, the mind filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory given unto us.
V. Thou gavest them Bread from heaven.
R. Containing in itself all sweetness.
GOD, who in a wonderful sacrament hast left unto us a memorial of thy Passion: grant us, we beseech thee, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of thy Body and Blood; that we may ever know within ourselves the fruit of thy redemption; who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Friday: Commemoration of the Holy Cross
O Cross most blessed, which alone wast counted worthy to bear the King of heaven and its Lord.
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.
GOD, who didst will to hallow the standard of the life giving Cross with the precious Blood of thine only-begotten Son: grant, we beseech thee; that they who rejoice in honouring that same holy Cross may in all Places likewise rejoice in being under thy protection; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Saturday: Commemoration of Our Lady
Blessed Mother and inviolate Virgin, glorious Queen of the world, intercede with the Lord for us.
V. Blessed art thou among women.
R. And blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
GRANT, we beseech the, O Lord God, that we thy servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body: and, at the glorious intercession of the blessed and ever-Virgin Mary, may be delivered from present sadness and may rejoice in continual gladness; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
What beautiful devotions. I had no idea the days of the week had ever been thus consecrated. This sure beats secular efforts like "Taco Tuesday" and "Hump Day" and "TGIF" to lift our week of days from sameness. I am reminded of Newman's advice that, in order to be perfect, we need not go outside the order of the day. Or week.
So glad you’re finding our Ordinariate books fruitful. There’s a beauty and usefulness to the wide panoply of Catholic resources available in the world—and I’m an inveterate accumulator of books myself to be sure, and have learned a lot from things like the Ukrainian Catholic catechism—but it’s such a gift to our communities to have the St. Gregory’s as an official go-to for all manner of prayers and devotions. All parishes of whatever stripe could benefit from having such a book, always on hand and distributed to all, as a common reference point for teaching and praying in common.