Here is the Collect for Thursday of the 1st week of Advent.
COLLECT:
Excita, Domine, potentiam tuam,
et magna nobis virtute succurre,
ut, quod nostra peccata praepediunt,
gratia tuae propitiationis acceleret.
This prayer was in the ancient Gelasian Sacramentary and other sacramentaries. It was in the 1962MR as well for the 4th Sunday of Advent ("Rorate")
LITERAL VERSION:
Rouse up Your power, O Lord,
and hasten to aid us with your great might,
so that, what our sins are hindering
the grace of Your merciful favor may make swift.
During Advent we are being constantly given images of movement, of rushing swiftly to a goal. It is principally Christ who is rushing towards us. We are asked to smooth His path, remove the obstacles. When the Lord comes, He will come by the straightest path whether we have straightened it out or not. Our sins make His path crooked.
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Your version reads so much better than “Father, we need your help”.
The collect for the feast of Saint Ambrose was used at Mass today, and I used it in the Liturgy of the Hours. I am curious how bad the ICEL translations for the Proper of the Saints is!