The Prefaces

88 Mass prefaces, including most of those from the Roman Missal, together with some from the Prayer Books of 1661 and 1928. The Roman Prefaces have been freshly translated in a style suitable for use with the English Missal and set out for singing. They may be printed out on A5 paper and put in a ring binder.

Some of us have our doubts about such a variety of prefaces (to say nothing of the plethora of "eucharistic prayers"). One good one is better than a dozen full of teaching material. Generally the best of these prefaces turn out to be the ones we already had in the old Prayer Book and Roman Missal. Would it be a deprivation to use the Trinity preface on most days during the year? I trow not. JDH

The whole document in Word 97 format can be downloaded from 

ADVENT I

Two specimen pages are shown below, followed by a list of contents.

1. ADVENT I
from Advent I to December 16
Of the two advents of Christ

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty,
that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee,
O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God,
______ through Jesus Christ our Lord:

Who at his first coming in the lowliness of our flesh fulfilled the promise of the covenant of old,
______ and opened unto us the way to everlasting ______ salvation;
so that when he shall come again in the glory of his majesty
______ we may possess in its fullness the reward for ______ which we now watch and pray.

Therefore with angels and archangels,
with thrones and dominations, and with all the company of heaven,
we laud and magnify thy glorious name,
______ evermore praising thee and saying:

35. SUNDAYS PER ANNUM VII
Of salvation through the obedience of Christ

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty,
that we should at all times, in all places, give thanks unto thee,
______ O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting
______ God:

Who of thy tender mercy didst so love the world that thou didst send unto us the Redeemer,
______ whom, being himself without sin, thou didst
______ will to live among us in our own likeness;

that thou mightest love in us those things which were pleasing unto thee in thy Son,
______ through whose obedience we are restored to ______ those thy gifts which we through the ______ disobedience of sin had lost.

Wherefore, O Lord, with all the multitude of angels and saints,
we rejoice to confess thy name,
______ evermore praising thee and saying:

Index of Contents

Numbering follows the Roman Missal. Where a number is omitted that preface has not been translated.

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