Best Version of the Book of Common Prayer?

Just check the Collects... like this one, for the Poor and Neglected, and this prayer appears in both Prayer Books:


"Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (Book of Common Prayer, 1979 [USA])

"Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you the homeless, the desitute, the sick, the aged, and all who have none to care for them. Heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (Book of Alternative Services, 1985 [Canada])


OR we can look at the Collect for the Blessed Sacrament (check Maundy Thursday), because today was the feast of Corpus Christi:


"ALMIGHTY Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, did institute the Sacrament of his Body and Blood; Mercifully grant that we may thankfully receive the same in remembrance of him, who in these holy mysteries giveth us a pledge of life eternal; the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen."
-- Book of Common Prayer, 1928 (USA)

"Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
-- Book of Common Prayer, 1979 (USA)


"O GOD, who in a wonderful Sacrament hast left unto us a memorial of thy passion: Grant us so to reverence the holy mysteries of thy Body and Blood, that we may ever know within ourselves the fruit of thy redemption; who livest and reignest with the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
-- Book of Common Prayer, 1962 (Canada)

"O God, your Son Jesus Christ has left to us this meal of bread and wine in which we share his body and his blood. May we who celebrate this sign of his great love show in our lives the fruits of his redemption; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen."
-- Book of Alternative Services, 1985 (Canada)


The modern rite in Canada tends to be a much simpler language, and probably corresponds to the Vatican II edict that the liturgy was to be understood by everyone in assembly. The first Roman Catholic rite (Novus Ordo) in English was very simple in translation. I do not think the BAS (Book of Alternative Services) is a bad translation at all, but I just think that the BAS was a product of its time. The Canadian Book of Common Prayer's archaic English has been immortalised for many generations, and the Liturgy should not just merely be a translation, but an interpretation of how to express absolute Beauty in the glimpse of the Heavenly Banquet we call the Divine Liturgy, or Mass, or Eucharistic Service.

What the BAS offers is a decent modern rite with very extensive notes in its introductions. They are very scholarly and a good read to understand the evolution of the Christian Liturgy . The BAS also re-introduces the Eucharist as the centre of the service, when the Blessed Sacrament aforetime was quite neglected in Canadian Anglican parishes and relegated to an occasional celebration rather than a regular one. The Lucenary Service, missing from the older Prayer Books, is found in both the American BCP 1979, and in the Canadian BAS 1985.

But I love the language in the Canadian BCP 1962.Since I am Anglo-Catholic, I just skip our state prayers (we pray for the Queen in our country... technically she is still the Queen of Canada), add in the Angelus before Morning/Mid-Day/Evening Prayer, and add in the Prayer for the Departed and the appropriate Marian Anthem of the season at the end of Morning/Evening Prayer (Ordinary Time is 'Salve Regina'), with the Sign of the Cross in all the appropriate places.

Whichever Prayer Book you use, modern or ancient, so as long as you feel your heart called to it, and you use it to pray the Daily Office and to derive inspiration from the Collects, I don't think there should be any problem. To me, the spirit of Anglicanism substantiates individual comprehension of liturgical worship, and why we do it; people have different capacities and strengths in spiritual life, and we should all use whatever means we can to come closer to God!

 

PS: My parish liturgy is from the Anglican Order of St. Francis (or so I've heard), using most renditions from the Canadian BCP 1962, along with the appropriate Anglo-Catholic additions. The Collect of the Day, however, is from the BAS (maybe for compromise?), but archaicised.

Which is funny because we pray in archaic English, but our Liturgy of the Word is chanted or read from the NRSV. :think:

 

Thank you for the advice and for sharing! I greatly appreciate it. All very interesting stuff.

I have been praying using the Book of Common Prayer for several days in a row now and I have to say that this book is perhaps the single greatest creation the Church has ever produced for the common man. It really is incredible when you finally understand how to use it.

 

I would say 1662 BCP especially the 1992 Illustrated version if you can find one, or the Canadian ACoC 1962 BCP. I actually use myself a 1959 BCP Canada ACoC, which is essentially the 1962 one. And I use the iPray BCP on my iPhone 4S

 

Does the App work well? I never thought of even looking into that.

 

There's no good app for the Canadian BCP!!

 

I like the 1979, that is what my communion uses

 

I have been using a good app on Android as well as the 1979 BCP from Kindle's bookstore. So far, very good.

 

I use this resource from time to time.

http://anglicansonline.org/resources/bcp.html

 

The iPray BCP uses the British 1662 Morning and Evening prayer rites, and uses the Canadian 1962 BCP for Midday Prayers and Compline. I love using it because it automatically sets up all the psalms and lessons for each office. Also I recommend checking out the 1918 Canadian BCP too, there is an online version here http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/Canada/1918.htm

To find the iPray BCP just enter that title in App Store or Google Play