Kirkepiscatoid

Ok, I think for day 1, I will start with the history of The Great Litany.

As is, it is as old as Anglicanism itself. It first appears in 1544, and the one in our present prayer book is essentially the same as the one Thomas Cranmer wrote in 1544 in response to Henry VIII’s request. It is based on the litany in the Sarum Missal, which was a variant of the Roman Rite, one of the earlier forms of the Divine Liturgy. It also borrows heavily from Martin Luther’s litany. The Roman Rite is similar to many rites in the Eastern church, such as the Byzantine Rite. So, parts of this litany are as old as 3rd century Christianity. If we want to go even further, there are bits of the prayers in it that are similar to Solomon’s prayer in I Kings, 22-53. It is truly a connection to not just the ancient Church, but to the Judaic roots of the Church.

The Sarum Missal was the main missal used in the British Isles. So, there was obviously an intent on Cranmer’s part for the people to have something “familiar” in the Great Litany.

Here is the 1544 version.

In 1672, Anthony Sparrow wrote this about the Great Litany:

In the beginning it directs our prayers to the right object, the Glorious TRINITY. For necessary it is, that we should know whom we worship. Then it proceeds to Deprecations, or prayers against evil; lastly, to Petitions for good. In the Deprecations, as right method requires, we first pray against sin, then against punishment; because sin is the greatest evil. From all which we pray to be delivered by the holy actions and passions of CHRIST, the only merits of all our good. The like good order is observed in our Petitions for good. First, we pray for the Church Catholick, the common mother of all Christians; then for our own Church, to which, next the Church Catholick, we owe the greatest observance and duty. And therein, in the first place for the principal members of it, in whose welfare the Churches peace chiefly consists. After this we pray particularly for those sorts of men that most especially need our prayers, such amongst others, as those whom the Law calls miserable Persons.

The Litany is not one long continued prayer, but broken into many short and pithy Ejaculations: that the intention and devotion which is most necessary in prayer, may not be dull'd and vanish, as in a long prayer it is apt to do; but be quickned and intended, by so many new and quick petitions; and the nearer to the end, the shorter and livelier it is, strengthening our devotions by raising in us an apprehension of our misery and distress, ready, as it were to sink and perish; and therefore crying out as the Disciples did, Master, save us, we perish: O Lamb of God hear us, O Christ hear us, Lord have mercy upon us. Such as these are the active, lively spirited prayers, energoumenai, which S. James mentions and tells us, avail much. S. Iames 5. 16.

There was an obvious intent for this to be a participatory act of the people, not just a big long prayer by the priest. It is also interactive in that, according to Sparrow, the priest is supposed to be praying “Secrete (secret) Prayers” during the people’s participation in the Great Litany that these prayers be accepted by God.

So....this is an interesting introduction to my 40 days with this part of the BCP.