Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) was a German-Dutch canon regular in the Augustinian religious order of the Catholic Church in the late medieval period. He was also a member of the Modern Devotion reform movement that advocated for renewal through genuine pious practices like humility and a simple life.
He is best known for his devotional book The Imitation of Christ, which was a handbook (originally in Latin) that grew out of his following of the Modern Devotion movement. It is second only to the Bible in the number of languages it has been translated into and in how widespread its readership has been.
It has influenced many Christian saints and leaders through the ages and has even made its mark outside Christian circles and is still in print today.
This set of prayers designed for use with an Anglican rosary are all taken from translations of prayers written by Thomas à Kempis in honor of his feast day on July 24 in the Calendar of the Church, and you will find the sources for these prayers at the bottom of this post.
May the love and devotion expressed in these prayers of his inspire your own.
| Cross: | O Lord God, holy Father, be You now and forever blessed. For as You will, so it has been done; and what You do is good. Let Your servant rejoice in You, not in myself or in any other. You alone are my true joy. You are my hope and my crown. You are my gladness and my honor. O Lord, what has Your servant but what has been received from You without deserving it? Yours are all things that You have given and have made. Amen. |
| Invitatory bead: | O my Lord Jesus, trusting in your goodness and mercy, I come to you as a sick man comes to him who will heal him, and as a hungry and thirsty man to the Fountain of life, as a needy man to the King of heaven, as a servant to his Lord, as a creature to his Creator, and as a desolate person to his kind and blessed Comforter. |
| Cruciform beads: | Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening, You have the words of eternal life. Speak to me and comfort my soul; help me to amend my whole life, and may it, in turn, give You praise, glory, and endless honor. |
| Week beads 1-7: | Lord Jesus Christ, you alone are my hope and my refuge. You are my best solace in times of trouble and my trusted guide in times of perplexity and uncertainty. |
| Invitatory bead: | Most gentle Jesus, grant me Your grace; let it be with me, work with me, and remain with me until the end. Grant me always to desire and will what is most acceptable and most pleasing to You. Let Your will be mine, and let my will ever follow yours and be in perfect harmony with it. Let my willing and not willing be the same as Yours. Amen |
| Cross: | Lord, You know what is best. May Your will decide what should be done. Give what You will, how much You will, and when You will. Do what You know is best for me. Do what pleases You and brings Your name the most honor. Put me where You will, and deal with me in all things as You please. I am in Your hand. Turn me backwards and forwards, turn me upside down. Here I am, Your servant, ready for anything, for I have no desire to live for myself, but only to live perfectly and worthily for You. Amen. |
Sources of prayers used above:
Opening Cross: prayer by Thomas à Kempis, found on the Knights of the Holy Eucharist website
First Invitatory bead: prayer by Thomas à Kempis, found on the Artistic Daily Prayers website
Cruciform beads: prayer by Thomas à Kempis, found on the Artistic Daily Prayers website
Week beads: excerpt from A Prayer for Detachment from All Earthly Things by Thomas à Kempis, found on the TAN Direction website
Last Invitatory bead: prayer by Thomas à Kempis, found on the Artistic Daily Prayers website
Closing Cross: prayer by Thomas à Kempis, found on Reddit
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