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Piepkorn Prayers

Piepkorn's Prayers

The prayers presented here were written by the Reverend Doctor Arthur Karl Piepkorn. Fr. Charles McClean, Pastor of Our Savior Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Baltimore, Maryland, was a student of Fr. Piepkorn's at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.  Fr. McClean gave these prayers to Fr. Mark P. Braden, Pastor of Zion, to make available to the church at large.

Three prayers are presented below - 1) A Eucharistic Prayer known as the "Chisolm Canon", after Fr. Piepkorn's first parish; 2) a Eucharistic Prayer by Fr. Piepkorn; and 3) a General Prayer for use in the Mass.

The Eucharistic Prayer (The Canon):The "Chisholm Canon"

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, who by thy holy apostle hast taught us to make prayers and supplications and to give thanks for all men, we humbly beseech thee graciously to receive these our prayers, which we bring before thee for thy holy church throughout all the world, that thou wouldst be pleased to guard, to govern, and to keep it in concord and peace everywhere, and to grant that all they that do confess thy holy name may agree in the truth of thy holy word and live in unity and godly love.

Especially do we commend to thy merciful goodness this congregation here assembled in thy name to show forth the atoning death of thy Son, and to offer unto thee this sacrifice of praise for their redemption, salvation, and eternal safety.

And here do we give thee most high praise and hearty thanks for the wonderful grace and virtue declared in all thy saints from the beginning of the world, whose examples, O Lord, and steadfastness in thy faith and in the keeping of thy holy commandments, grant that we may follow, ever rejoicing in the communion of saints, and defended in all things by thy help and protection.

Order our days in thy peace, we beseech thee, O Lord, deliver us from eternal condemnation and hereafter number us among thy blessed saints in glory everlasting.

Send down upon us the grace of thy Holy Spirit, and through thy holy word vouchsafe to bless and sanctify these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine that they may be unto us the body and blood of the same, thy most dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ;

Who, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples saying: Take, eat; THIS IS MY BODY, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying: Drink ye all of it; THIS CUP IS THE NEW TESTAMENT IN MY BLOOD, which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

Wherefore, O Lord, according to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son, we thy servants and thy holy people, having in remembrance his blessed passion, mighty resurrection, and glorious ascension, do celebrate and make here before thy divine majesty, with these thy holy gifts, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make, giving thanks that thou dost account us worthy through him to stand before thee in this priestly service, and humbly beseeching thee to grant that by the merits and death of the same thy.Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole church may obtain forgiveness of sins and all other benefits of his passion.

And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our souls and bodies to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice, and we devoutly implore thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, and to command these our prayers and supplications by the ministry of thy holy angel to be brought up unto thy holy altar on high before the sight of thy divine majesty, and to grant that all we who are partakers of this altar may worthily receive the most precious body and blood of thy dear Son, and be fulfilled with all heavenly benediction and grace, and be made one body with Christ and with all thy holy church.

We also remember before thee, O Lord, thy servants and handmaidens who have gone before us with the sign of faith and are now fallen asleep. To them, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, we beseech thee to grant thy mercy and everlasting peace.

To us sinners also, thy servants, who trust in the multitude of thy mercies, be pleased to grant a part and fellowship with thy holy apostles and martyrs and with all thy saints, unto whose company we implore thee to admit us, not weighing our merits but pardoning our offenses; through Jesus Christ our Lord;

By whom and with whom and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory be to thee, O Father almighty world without end.

R. Amen.

Commanded by Christ's saving precepts and informed by his divine instruction, we are bold to say, Our Father ... but deliver us from evil:

R. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, send down upon us, we implore thee, the grace of thy Holy Spirit and through thy holy Word be pleased to bless and sanctify these thy creatures of bread and wine, that they may be the body and the blood of thy most dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ:

WHO, ON THE NIGHT WHEN HE WAS BETRAYED, TOOK BREAD, AND WHEN HAD GIVEN THANKS, HE BROKE IT AND GAVE IT TO HIS DISCIPLES AND SAID: TAKE, EAT; THIS IS MY BODY WHICH IS GIVEN FOR YOU. DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.

IN THE SAME WAY ALSO HE TOOK THE CUP, AFTER SUPPER, AND WHEN HE HAD GIVEN THANKS, HE GAVE IT TO THEM, SAYING; DRINK OF IT, ALL OF YOU; THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT, WHICH IS POURED OUT FOR YOU FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. DO THIS, AS OFTEN AS YOU DRINK IT, IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.

Therefore. O Lord, according to his institution, we, thy servants and thy holy people, having in remembrance his blessed passion, mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, do make here before thee, with these thy holy gifts, the memorial which thy Son has commanded us to make, and we humbly beseech thee to grant that, by his merits and death and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole church may obtain forgiveness of sins and all other benefits of his passion.

And here we offer and present to thee, O Lord, ourselves to be a spiritual, holy, and living sacrifice. Accept, we implore thee, this service which we owe thee; grant that we may worthily receive the most precious body and blood of thy dear Son; fill us with all heavenly blessing and grace; and make us one body with Christ and with all thy holy church, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offenses;

Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord; By whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory be to thee, O Father almighty, forever and ever. R. Amen.

The Prayer of the Church

WE humbly beseech thee, almighty and most merciful Father, graciously to receive these our prayers which we bring before thee for thy holy church throughout the world, that thou wouldst be pleased to guard, to govern and to keep it in concord and peace everywhere, and to grant that all they that do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love.

Bless all bishops, pastors, and ministers of thy Word, especially N., the president of our synod; N., the president of our district; the chaplains of the armed forces of our nation and the missionaries of thy grace at home and abroad.

Graciously regard thy servants, the President of the United States of America, and the governors of our commonwealths and states, the Congress arid our legislatures, our judges and magistrates, and all the rulers of the earth; and grant unto them wisdom and understanding, that under their peaceable governance thy people may be guarded and directed in righteousness, quietness, and justice.

Have mercy upon the infirmities of men; deliver the world from error; take away disease; ward off famine; set free those who are innocently imprisoned, especially those who are in suffering for thy Name's and for thy truth's sake, and those who are prisoners of war; grant a safe return to the wayfarers, health to the sick, consolation to the bereaved, and light to the erring. Keep in the protection of thy holy angels all who travel by land and sea and in the air. Give to our loved ones thy help and thy favor and a constant sense of thy nearness and of thy love. And to the enemies of thy church vouchsafe the grace of repentance unto salvation.

We also remember before thee, O Lord, thy servants and handmaidens who have gone before us with the sign of faith, and are now fallen asleep. To them, O Lord, to all that rest in Christ, we beseech thee to grant thy mercy and everlasting peace; through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God world without end. Amen.