Preces Quotidianae
Nighttime Vigils
Prayers for midnight arousal, songs in the night, and remembrance of God upon the bed.
You who at midnight aroused Your prophet David, Ps.1 cxix.2 62. and the apostle Paul, so that they might praise You, Acts3 xvi. 25. Give us also songs in the night, Job xxxv.✦ 10. And to remember You on our bed, Ps. 63. 6. And keep us.
Waiting for the Bridegroom
A petition based on the parable of the bridegroom coming at midnight, asking for readiness to meet Christ.
You who by Your own word confirmed that the Bridegroom would come at midnight: grant that the cry may always ring in our ears, "The Bridegroom is coming," Matt.4 25. 6. So that we may never be unprepared to meet him. And keep us.
The Call to Repentance
A prayer for repentance inspired by the rooster's crow that moved Peter to bitter tears.
You who by a rooster's crow warned your apostle and made him turn back to repentance, Matt.5 26. 74. Grant also to us, under that same warning, to do the same thing—namely,6 to go outside and weep bitterly. v.7 75. in which we have sinned against You. And keep us.8
Ready for the Judgment
A plea for daily readiness for the Lord's unexpected coming in judgment.
You who foretold that You would come to judgment on a day we do not expect, and at an hour we do not know, Matt.✦✦9 24. 50. Luke. 12.10 46. Make us ready every day and every hour, so that we may await Your coming. And keep us.11
Morning Light and Illumination
Petitions for the dawn, the rising sun, and the enlightenment of our minds with the light of God's truth.
You who send forth light and create the dawn, Ps. 42. 8. You make the sun rise on the good and the bad, Matt.✦ 5. 45. Enlighten the blindness of our minds with the knowledge of the truth, Eph.12 4. 18. Lift up over us the light of Your face. 4. 6. That in Your light we may see light. 36. 9.
Read the original Latin
Qui media nocte excitasti David Prophetam Tuum, Psq/. exix. 62. et Paulum Apostolum, ut laudarent Te, 4cft. xvi. 25. Da et nobis carmina de nocte, Job. xxxv.
10. Et super stratum memores esse Tui, Psa/. lxiii. 6. Et serva nos. Qui media nocte venturum Sponsum ore Tuo confirmasti, Da, ut auribus nostris semper clamor intonet, Sponsus venit, JMaíf. xxv. 6.
Ut nunquam imparati simus in occursum Ejus, Et serva nos. Qui galli cantu. Apostolum Tuum admonuisti, et ad poenitentiam reverti fecisti, Maff. xxvi. 74. Da et nobis, eodem admonente, idem facere, sc. exire foras et amare flere, Vers. 75.
in quibus peccavimus Tibi, Et serva nos. Qui in die qua non speramus, et hora qua nescimus, venturum Te ad judicium predixisti, Maff. xxiv. 50. Luc. xu. 46. Fac nos omni die omnique hora paratos esse, ut adventum Tuum prsestolemur, Et serva nos.
Qui emittis lucem, creas auroram, Ps. xlii. 8. exoriri facis solem super bonos et malos, Matt. v. 45. Illumina ezeitatem mentium notitia veritatis, Ep. iv.
18. Attolle super nos lumen vultus Tui Psal. iv. 6. Ut in lumine Tuo videamus lucem, Psal. xxxvi. 9.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Job.35.10 — And no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,'
- ↩Matt.24.50 — the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know,
- ↩Luke.12.46 — the master of that slave will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in two, and will assign his portion with the unfaithful.
- ↩Matt.5.45 — so that you may become sons of your Father who is in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source abbreviation 'Psq/.' is treated as a Psalm citation marker (cf. neighboring 'Psa/.').
- 2 ↩Source 'exix.' is read as 'cxix.' (Psalm 119 / Vulgate 118).
- 3 ↩Source '4cft.' is treated as 'Act.' (Acts), matching the following xvi.25.
- 4 ↩Source citation 'JMaíf.' is almost certainly a corrupt abbreviation of Matt. (Matthew), matching the parable of the ten virgins.
- 5 ↩Source 'Maff.' is treated as a corrupt/abbreviated form of Matt. (Matthew).
- 6 ↩'sc.' taken as scilicet ('namely'), introducing the content of v. 75 in s7.
- 7 ↩'amare' is read as the adverb 'bitterly' (amare flere), not the verb 'to love', matching the biblical flevit amare.
- 8 ↩Fragmentary relative clause (in quibus...); sense is clear as confession language, but the head clause is outside this section.
- 9 ↩Maff. treated as Matt. (Matthew), matching the chapter's other citation forms.
- 10 ↩Source reads xu.; most plausible intended reading is xii. (12), yielding Luke 12:46 with the parallel to Matt. 24:50.
- 11 ↩prsestolemur read as praestolemur (we may await / stand ready for).
- 12 ↩Printed form ezeitatem is almost certainly a corruption of caecitatem ('blindness'); translation follows that corrected sense.
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