The Prayer of Humble Access
Like many Episcopalians and Anglicans around the world, one of my favorite collects in our treasure trove of prayers is the Prayer of Humble Access, written by Abp. Thomas Cranmer.
What I love about this prayer is that it’s the Gospel in a nutshell. It begins with acknowledging our own unworthiness in God’s presence. And we need this, don’t we? Many times, we approach God as though we are entitled to His grace and mercy, that His forgiveness is our right, but this is not true. We cannot presume that our righteousness has any merit in God’s eyes, like the Pharisees and scribes. In fact, this prayer reminds us we aren’t even worthy to gather up crumbs from under the Lord’s table.
Now this is an ironic image.
Cranmer references a Gospel event where a Syrophoenician woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon approaches Jesus and asks that her daughter will be miraculously healed (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30). She was a Canaanite, a pagan, from the same ethnic community as the hated Jezebel, a wicked Sidonian queen who tore down God’s altars, constructed altars to idols and commanded her Israelite husband and his people to offer sacrifices, sometimes human sacrifices, to these idols. From all external accounts, the Syrophoenician woman was certainly unworthy to receive Jesus’ grace and compassion. And Jesus says so — "It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs!” Or so it seems — because immediately, she appeals to His mercy and compassion saying, “But even the dogs eat the children’s crumbs under their tables.” Jesus commends her, “Woman, great is your faith!” Although she knew she had no right to Jesus’ mercy, she also knew that Jesus would never deny His character of grace and compassion. As Paul reminds us, “…even if we are faithless, God remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself.” (II Timothy 2:13)
Similarly, the Prayer of Humble Access teaches us to have her inspiring faith. Yes, we are unworthy sinners. Yet, we are not left without hope. Rather, God desires for us to come to Him and appeal to His mercy — for His “property (or character/attribute) is always to have mercy.” And because Mercy is who He is, God always grants us the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation that Jesus calls His flesh and blood. By receiving this utterly free gift, we enjoy oneness with Christ our God. I hope that this prayer becomes your favorite prayer too, as we worship our Lord Jesus Christ and His great sacrifice for us.
