These days are to be used to pray for vocations to Holy Orders – for those men called to be priests or deacons. We pray also for those who are already ordained – for all bishops, priests, and deacons, for our own bishop, and for the Holy Father.
Another aspect of the Ember Days is for us to give thanks for the earth and for the good things God gives us – for our food, for the rain and the sunshine, for all the blessings of life through nature. And because of that, it’s a time when we remind ourselves to treat creation with respect, and not waste the things God has given us.
Of course, we pray for all this throughout the year, but the Ember Days bring all this to mind in a special way, so that we can concentrate our prayers during the four periods of time throughout the year.
Of course, we pray for all this throughout the year, but the Ember Days bring all this to mind in a special way, so that we can concentrate our prayers during the four periods of time throughout the year.
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Collect for Wednesday (Replaced this year by the Feast of St. Andrew).
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that the coming festival of our redemption may obtain for us the comfort of thy succour in this life, and in the life to come the reward of eternal felicity; 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.
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Collect for Friday.
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy power, and come among
us: that we, who put our trust and confidence in thy mercy,
may speedily be delivered from all our adversities; who livest and
reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one
God, world without end. Amen.
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Collect for Saturday.
O God, who seest us to be sore afflicted by reason of the frailty
of our mortal nature: grant, we beseech thee, that we may
be relieved by thy gracious visitation; who livest and reignest
with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one
God, world without end. Amen.
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For those to be ordained.
Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine
providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: give
thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all who are (now) called
to any office and ministry for thy people; and so fill them with
the truth of thy doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life,
that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great
Name and for the benefit of thy holy Church; 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.
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For the choice of fit persons for the ordained ministry.
O God, who didst lead thy holy Apostles to ordain ministers
in every place: grant that thy Church, under the guidance
of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable men for the ministry of
Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for
the extension of thy kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd
and Bishop of our souls, 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.
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For all Christians in their vocation.
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole
body of thy faithful people is governed and sanctified: receive
our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all
members of thy holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and godly serve thee; 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.
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Pictured: "The Census at Bethlehem"
by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, painted in 1566.