A Brief Psaltery

Occasional Prayers for Use by Knights

The following devotions are excerpted from the longer prayerbook, The Discipline of the Sword of the Spirit: the Breviary of The Religious and Military Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

After Investiture, the Sepulchre Knight of this Order receives a copy of the complete Breviary for personal use in the private Sepulchre Chapel he or she will establish in his or her home. Since many Knights of other Orders often have occasion for devotion, these prayers are given here for use by all Knights.

Special Prayer Requests
The RMOKHSJ has many Clergy as Knights of the Order who will be pleased to offer at their regular and special religious services and Eucharists prayers for anyone who wishes to request them. For example, prayers can be offered in thanks on the anniversary of a Knight's Investiture or in celebration of the call to Knighthood.

If you wish to request these special prayers or other prayers, click HERE. Please describe the nature of your request ("thanks for x," or "celebration of x," and so forth), the month in which you wish the prayers offered, and your name. No donations or fees of any kind are accepted or charged for the offering of prayers.

A Prayer for Use by Knights on a Feast Day of the Order

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout unto God with the voice of triumph!
For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King.
For the most holy Father of heaven, our King before all the ages, has sent His beloved Son from on high before all the ages, the doer of saving deeds on earth.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
For He is to be revered above all gods. and greatly to be praised.
Give to the Lord, O kindreds of the people, give to the Lord glory and strength. give to the Lord the glory due His Name.
Offer up your bodies and take up His holy Cross; follow His most holy commandments to the last.

Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say all ye nations, "The Lord reigneth," for His Knights go before Him, carrying the banner of glory!
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the most holy Father in heaven.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let Thy glory be above all the earth, and let our praises on this sacred day carry to the very Throne of God.
For Thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens, and Thy truth unto the clouds, and Thy mercy into the hearts of Knights.

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.

A Prayer for Use in Celebrating the Receipt of a Special Grace


THOU art holy, O Lord, the only God, and Thy deeds are wonderful, and I, Thy Knight, give Thee thanks for all Thy lovingkindness, [especially for...].

Thou art strong, Thou art great, Thou art the Most High,
Thou art the almighty King.
Thou, O holy Father, the King of heaven and earth.

Thou art Three and One, Lord God of gods;
Thou art good, all good, the highest good.

Lord God, living and true.

Thou art love and charity,
Thou art wisdom; Thou art humility; Thou art patience.
Thou art beauty; Thou art meekness! Thou art security;
Thou art inner peace; Thou art joy; Thou art our hope and joy.
Thou art justice; Thou art moderation,
Thou art all our riches, and Thou art everything for us

Thou art beauty, Thou art meekness;
Thou art the protector,
Thou art our guardian and defender.
Thou art strength; Thou art refreshment.

Thou art our hope, Thou art our faith,
Thou art our charity,
Thou art all our sweetness,
Thou art our eternal life.
O great and wonderful Lord,
God almighty, merciful Savior.
Amen.

A Prayer for use before Attending a Religious Ceremony or Service

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His Name; make His praise glorious.
Say to God, "How awesome are Thy works! Through the greatness of Thy power thine enemies shall submit themselves to Thee.
All the earth shall worship Thee and sing praises to Thee; they shall sing praises to Thy Name.

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.
He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard.

All men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! And blessed be His glorious Name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen.

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.

A Prayer for use in Time of Trouble or Need

May the Lord answer us in the day of trouble; may the Name of the God of Jacob defend us.
May He send us help from the sanctuary, and strengthen us out of Zion.
May He remember all our offerings, and accept our burnt sacrifice. May He grant us according to our hearts' desire, and fulfill all our purposes, especially that which we now request [here special requests are made].
We will rejoice in Thy Salvation, and in the Name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all our petitions.

Behold the banner proclaiming that the Lord has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to judge all peoples faithfully.
He is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Thy Name will put their trust in Thee, for Thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee.

But I will sing of Thy power, for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of trouble.
Let that power in me bring forth Songs of Triumph in battle,
Let my Sword be the bringer of Thy Mercy,
Let my call to Knighthood glorify Thee, O Lord God and Christ, in my trouble and need!

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.

A Prayer for Reconciliation with God

In Thee, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame.
Deliver me in Thy righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline Thine ear to me, and save me.

Be my strong habitation to which I may resort continually.
For Thou art my hope, O Lord; Thou art my trust from my youth.
By Thee I have been upheld from my birth; Thou art He Who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of Thee.

Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise and with glory all the day.
Hear me, O Lord, for Thy lovingkindness is good;
Clothe me in the Armor of Humility, O Lord,
Take away my dagger of pride and turn me according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, O Lord, that I may be reconciled with Thee,
for I have [here the errors are given for which reconciliation is requested] .

Send me strength for reconciliation, O Lord, through Jesus Christ, that I may sing of Thy power, for Thou hast been my defense and my refuge, O my Strength, the God of my mercy.

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.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Celebrating the Anniversary of Receipt of Postulancy

Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen, Mary, Mother of God, Ever Virgin; Chosen by the most holy Father in heaven, consecrated by Him, and with His most holy beloved Son.

The Holy Ghost, Thy Comforter on Thee descended, and in Thee still remains all the fullness of grace and every good.

Hail, His Palace.
Hail, His Tabernacle.
Hail, His Robe.
Hail, His Handmaid.
Hail, His Mother.

And Hail all holy Virtue and inspiration of the Holy Ghost which are poured into the hearts of Thy faithful Postulants, for on this anniversary day, I received my call to Knighthood, soon to be made a faithful Knight of God through Thee.
Amen.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Celebrating the Anniversary of Receipt of the Accolade of Knighthood

I will praise Thee, O Lord, most holy Father, King of heaven and earth; because Thou hast comforted me and brought me to Thy holy Knighthood.
For Thou art the God of my salvation, even that Salvation which arose from the Holy Sepulchre,
The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation, and in my Knighthood shall I become His Right Hand;

Thy right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; Thy right hand, O Lord, has dashed thine enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of Thine excellence Thou hast overthrown those who rose against Thee.

The humble shall see this and be glad; and you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah. That they may dwell there and possess it. Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His Name shall dwell in it.

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.

Other Prayers that May Be Recited

For Success as a Knight
O holy Virgin Mary, among women there is no one like Thee born into the world: Thou art the daughter and handmaid of the most high and supreme King and Father of heaven; Thou who art the mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ; Thou who art the spouse of the Holy Ghost. O Queen of Heaven, pray for us [me], with Saint Michael the Archangel, Patron Saint of all Chivalry, and all the powers of the heavens and all the Saints, to Thy most holy and beloved Son, our Lord and Master, in whose Holy Name we [I] have accepted Knighthood, that we [I] may bear our duties [my duty] well and at the end be found [a] good and faithful servant[s], [a] soldier[s] of Christ whose strength and humility were in God.
Amen.

For Correct Faith
Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, O Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, So that I may carry out Thy holy and true commandments. Let us bless the Lord, the living and true God; to Him let us always render praise, glory, honor, blessing, and every good.
Amen.

Your comments and questions regarding these prayers are welcome. If you would like to recommend other prayers for inclusion, click HERE.

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Prayers ©1984, 1994, 1995 by The Religious and Military Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. All rights reserved. A Knight may download and print one copy of these prayers for personal use only.