 IN HOC SIGNO VINCES |
Order of Centurions |
 TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM |
| IN HOC SIGNO VINCES |
Order of Centurions |
TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM |
NOTES & SUGGESTIONS
EARLY CHRISTIANS PRAYED THE LORD'S PRAYER THRICE DAILY
AND REHEARSED THE CREED MORNING AND EVENING
The early Church prayed each day in the morning 9am, noon, afternoon 3pm, midnight, and upon rising a cockcrow. Wednesdays and Fridays were days of special devotion and fasting. Augustine wrote of the practice of saying the Lord's prayer thrice daily, the Creed, morning upon rising, and before going to bed. Centurions may use the above as a guide to daily devotion at any hour. We suggest printing out this page and cutting out the guide, and fold it in the middle. Devotional texts may provide a daily reading. An on-line resource is Common Prayer. Favorite passages may be memorized for the devotion when you don't have a Bible handy for study:
OT: Lev 19:32 "You shall rise before the aged, and defer to the old; and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD" or Prov 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight"
Psalm Morning 62nd Psalm, Evening 140th Psalm or your favorites
Epistle: Acts 10:34 I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Gospel: Matt 8:8 Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed and John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life."
Ten Commandments Decalogue: Ex 20
Lord's Prayer Matt 6:9
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. [Didache 8]
Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, have mercy on us
Summary of the Law
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one
Matt 22:37-40 ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Prayer of the Order
Almighty God, our sovereign Lord, who called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles, who healed the servant at Capernaum in accordance with the Centurion's great faith, and who inspired the Centurion at Calvary to glorify Jesus; strengthen us in our faith that we might follow their example to love, serve, and glorify you as faithful members of the Church Militant, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Canticle Magnificat (Song of Mary) [Luke 1:46]
My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
Canticle Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Glory to God on High) [Luke 2:14]
Sung on weekdays during prayer in the Early Church [4th Century]
Glory be to God on high,
and on earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise thee,
we bless thee,
we worship thee,
we glorify thee,
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy;
thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen
Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father)
[2nd Century]
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen
This is the oldest existing liturgical prayer. The "it" refers to the doctrine of the Trinity, "world without end" shows its Catholic belief that is to be held forever.Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon) [Luke 2:29]
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.
Which thou has prepared before the face of all people
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Isreal.PSALTER - Selected Psalms In the Early Church in the morning would be said the 62nd Psalm, and in the evening the 140th Psalm [ Apostolic Teaching and Constitutions LIX ]
Psalm 144 vs. 1-2
Blessed be the LORD my strength,
which teacheth my hands to war,
and my fingers to fight:
my goodness, and my fortress;
my high tower, and my deliver;
my shield, and he in whom I trust;
who subdueth my people under me.
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