Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love thee,
and worthily magnify thy holy Name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
ANGLICAN 11TH CENTURY AD; BCP 1549
The Collect for Purity
Also known as Almighty God, Unto Whom All Hearts Are Open
About this prayer
The Collect for Purity is the opening prayer of the Anglican Communion service and one of the most widely known prayers in the English language. It asks God to cleanse the thoughts of the heart by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that worship may be offered worthily. The prayer derives from a Latin collect used in the Sarum Rite, the form of the Roman Rite used in England before the Reformation, where it was said privately by the priest at the beginning of Mass. Thomas Cranmer translated it for the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549 and placed it at the opening of the Holy Communion service, making it congregational rather than private. It has remained in the Anglican Communion service without alteration since 1549, making it one of the most enduring fixed texts in English Protestantism.
When it's said
The Collect for Purity opens the Order for Holy Communion in the Book of Common Prayer, 1662, said at the beginning of every Communion service. It is also used in many Anglican Morning Prayer services and is frequently said as a private preparatory prayer before worship. Its brevity and completeness have made it one of the most widely memorized Anglican prayers.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid' is a comprehensive statement of divine omniscience. The prayer asks that this God who sees everything might also purify everything, turning the fact of God's total knowledge from a source of fear into a source of cleansing.
Common questions
Why is it called a 'Collect'?
A 'collect' (pronounced COL-lect, with the stress on the first syllable) is a short structured prayer that 'collects' the prayers and intentions of the gathered congregation into one petition. The form is ancient and appears in the earliest Western liturgies. A collect typically has four parts: an address to God, a basis for asking (a clause beginning 'who' or 'unto whom'), the petition itself, and a closing doxology through Christ. The Collect for Purity follows this structure exactly.
When was the Collect for Purity written?
The Latin original of the Collect for Purity comes from the Sarum Rite, the form of the Roman Rite used in England before the Reformation. It was traditionally said privately by the priest at the beginning of the Mass. Thomas Cranmer translated it into English and placed it at the opening of the Holy Communion service in the first Book of Common Prayer of 1549, making it congregational rather than priestly.
Where in the service is it said?
In the Book of Common Prayer of 1662, the Collect for Purity is said at the very start of the Communion service, immediately after the Lord's Prayer that opens the rite. It is also used in many Anglican Morning Prayer services and as a private preparatory prayer before worship. Its brevity and completeness have made it one of the most widely memorized Anglican prayers.
Source
Derived from a Latin collect in the Sarum Rite. English translation by Thomas Cranmer for the Book of Common Prayer, 1549; 1662 form used here. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.