Lord, make us to have concurrently a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name; for thou never leavest destitute of thy pilotage those whom thou dost discipline in the steadfastness of thy love. Through...
Latin:
Sancti nominis tu, Domine, timorem pariter et amorem fac nos habere perpetuum: quia nunquam tua gubernatione destituis, quos in soliditate tuae dilectionis instituis, PerGalatian Sacrementary as given by Muratori (590)
Mobilis
Introit: The Lord was my stay, he brought me forth also into large place
Ps: I will love the O Lord, my strength
Epistle: 1 John 3:13-18 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate ye
Gradual: In my distress, I cried unto the Lord and he heard me
Gospel: Luke 14:16-24 The he said unto him, A certain man made a great supper..
God is my Pilot, my Helmsman
In the original translation of the book of common prayer of 1549 Cranmer used the term "to bring up" for discipline, and the phrases were rearranged somewhat and sense changed somewhat. The English added more items to the prayer in 1661.
The Latin begins with the petition "Make us", and then the attribute recognizes the fact that God does indeed "bring up" or instruct those whom he loves to fear and love his holy name. There is never a time when he will not be faithful to his elect. His protection is his oath.
Note that 'pilot or pilotage" is the sense of the translation. It is not to "help" as later translations added, but rather to steer (direct) as a helmsman does a ship, or a pilot his glider. The ship is not allowed to drift aimlessly here and there, nor the glider to follow the wind, but rather there is a determined will to pilot each to its destination in the midst of these currents.
One may look at this in terms of what we call Providence or Destiny. Often in answer to prayer or need known to God, he will have us and others to come into situations and interact with people and events that are of his specific choosing for our discipline and welfare.
We may find this expressed concisely in scripture in, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose" [Romans 8:28].
Meanwhile, we grow year by year in love and fear of our Lord as he brings us up as does a loving mother her children. I would think most readers who know the Lord may look back on their experience and clearly see a time when their respect and love of God was not what it is today and recognize and hope it will be even more tomorrow. There was a sense of this continual growth and love of God in the lyrics of "Day by Day" in the musical Godspell and taken from the prayer of Richard, Bishop of Chichester from the 13th Century.
Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits Thou hast given me, for all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly and follow thee more nearly, day by day.
An homily of Augustine on the epistle
Finis
Portions paraphrased from The Collects of the Day by Edward Goulburn
The Ancient Collect: Its history and form
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