O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord,
in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life,
whose service is perfect freedom:
Defend us, thy humble servants,
in all assaults of our enemies;
that we, surely trusting in thy defence,
may not fear the power of any adversaries;
through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
ANGLICAN ANCIENT LATIN; BCP 1549
The Collect for Peace
Also known as O God, Who Art the Author of Peace ยท Morning Prayer Collect for Peace
About this prayer
The Collect for Peace is one of the three collects appointed for Morning Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer, said after the fixed canticles and the Apostles' Creed. A collect is a brief structured prayer that collects the intentions of the congregation into a single petition; it typically addresses God, states a basis for the petition, makes the request, and ends with a doxology. This collect asks God, who is the author of peace and whose service is perfect freedom, to defend the worshippers from all assaults so they may pass their time in rest and quietness. The Latin original is ancient; Cranmer translated it for the first BCP in 1549.
When it's said
The Collect for Peace is said at Morning Prayer in the Book of Common Prayer, following the Collect of the Day. It is the second of three collects: the first is for the day, the second is for peace, and the third is for grace. It is also used as a private morning prayer and as a general petition for peace in any setting.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'whose service is perfect freedom' is one of the most celebrated paradoxes in the BCP. It draws on the Pauline theology of Romans 6, where submission to God is described as freedom from the slavery of sin. Service to God is not constraint but liberation.
Source
Derived from an ancient Latin collect. 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.