¶ A Praiet to be saied of Children before they studie their lesson at schole.
Prayer for Wisdom and Understanding Before Study
A child prays for God's illumination, memory, and the Holy Spirit's gifts to learn well and glorify God.
O blessed Lord, you who are the wellspring of all wisdom and knowledge: since it has pleased you, in your mercy, to provide for me such means of instruction in my tender years that I may learn to conduct myself honestly and live in a godly way, and to lead the whole course of my life in your holy service—please also illuminate my dark mind and blind understanding, so that it may be able to receive properly the learning that will be taught. Refresh my memory; yes, imprint it on my remembrance, that I may keep it securely. Dispose my heart also, and shape my will, that I may apply my mind to receive it with such affection and fervent desire as is fitting—to this end: that the most blessed opportunity you offer me may not perish through my unthankfulness. And that these things may come to pass, may it please your gracious will to pour out your Holy Spirit into my heart—your Spirit, I say, of understanding, of truth, judgment, wisdom, and knowledge—so that I may become apt to learn, and my schoolmaster not lose his labor in teaching me; and whatever study I set my mind to, I may bring it to the right end: that is, to glorify you in our Savior Christ, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory forever and ever.12 Amen.
Read the original English
OBlessed Lorde, whiche arte the welspring of al wisdom and knowledge, sithēs it hath pleased the of thy mercy to prouyde for me such meanes to be instructed in my tēder age, as wherby I may haue knowledge to vse my selfe honestlye, and to behaue my selfe godlye, to leade the whole course of my life in thy holy seruice: let it be thy pleasure also to illumynate my darke wyt and blynde vnderstandinge, so that it may be able to receyue accordyngly, the learning that shall be vttered: refreshe thou my memorye, yea imprinte thou it in my remembraūce, that I may kepe it assuredlye: dispose thou my hearte also (…) and frame my wyll, that …mape apply my minde to recei…e it, with such affec…ion and feruente desire, as it beho…eth: to to this end, that the most happye occasyon which thou offerest vnto me, do not pea…ish through my vnth…kfulnes: and that these thinges may come to passe, let it stād with thy gracoius pleasure to powre out thy holy spirit into my heart, thy spirit I saye of vnderstanding; of truth, iudgment, wisdō … knowledge: whe…eby I may become apt to learne, and my scholemaster not lese his payne in teachyug me: and what study soeuer I apply my mynd vnto, I may reduce … bryng it to the right end (that is) to glorif… the in our sauiou… Christ, to who…e wyth the and the holye ghost be all honoure and glorye for euer and euer.
Amen.
Notes
- 1 ↩Several mid-sentence spans are damaged or elided in the normalized witness (heart/will clause; receive/affection/behooveth; perish/unthankfulness; wisdom and knowledge; whereby; glorify thee; Saviour; whom). The rendering follows the most plausible Early Modern sense of those lacunae.
- 2 ↩"reduce … bryng it to the right end" is taken as directing or bringing study to its proper purpose (glorifying God), not as modern "reduce" = lessen.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit