An Historic Sunday Prayer

Earlier today my wife and I were saying the Third Hour (9 AM) prayers from Hear Us, O Lord: Daily Prayers for the Laity (For more, See www.anglicaninternetchurch.net/aic-bookstore). The Second Antiphon is this short prayer from a collection of prayers in the Syrian Antiochian Church tradition. It is formatted in the verse-and-response style of the Hour offices, with the response in bold type.

Great is the day of Sunday
And blessed is he who keeps it in faith;
Because on it our Lord rose from the grave;
And the nations confessed the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.
Halleluia, Halleluia, Halleluia.

The traditional Hours format is First Prayer; the General Confession and Lord’s Prayer; First Chapter (from Scripture); First Antiphon (usually Psalm verses); Second Prayer; Second Antiphon; Third Prayer; Second Chapter; Third Antiphon; Fourth Prayer; Psalm Reading; Third Chapter; Fourth Antiphon; Fifth Prayer; Fifth Antiphon; Sixth Prayer; the Grace (2 Corinthians 13:14); the Benediction.