Sunday's Prayer, by Lilian Helen Montagu (1895)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=50701

Date: 2023-05-09

Last Updated: 2025-04-11

Categories: Sunday

Tags: 19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, Jewish Women's Prayers, Sunday, teḥinot in English, West Central Girls' Club, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: "Sunday's Prayer" was written by Lilian Helen Montagu and published in Prayers for Jewish Working Girls (1895), pp. 10-11. . . .

Content:

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Sunday’s prayer.
	Almighty Father, — Open my mouth that my lips may declare Thy praise. (Psalms 51:17)
	O God, help me to understand the beauty and power of prayer, and let me not consider any day complete, unless I have spent therein a few minutes in speaking my heart to Thee.
	I know, O Lord, that thou wilt not change Thy laws for my sake; also I am much too ignorant to understand what is for my good. Yet I am not afraid to make my petition unto Thee, for the end and object of all my prayers is to ask for faith and trust in Thee!
	O Lord, help me to do what is pleasing in Thy sight, and to will that which Thou willest! As a father delights in the gratitude of his children, mayest Thou not consider it unworthy to accept my prayer of thanksgiving. As a father allows his children to confide their thoughts to him, do Thou listen to the outflowings of my heart and grant me peace!
	Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14)

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“Sunday’s Prayer” was written by Lilian Helen Montagu and published in Prayers for Jewish Working Girls (1895), pp. 10-11.

Source(s)

 

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Lilian Helen Montagu
  Bio: The Hon. Lilian Helen "Lily" Montagu, CBE (22 December 1873 – 22 January 1963) was the first woman to play a major role in Progressive Judaism. Until the age of 15, she was educated at Doreck College, and privately educated thereafter. In 1893 she founded with Emily Marion Harris the West Central Jewish Girls Club (which subsequently merged into the Jewish Girls' Brigade). She was active in social improvement, particularly in respect to unemployment, sweat shops and bad housing. In 1901 and 1902, Montagu laid the groundwork for the establishment of the Jewish Religious Union in London. In February 1902 she arranged the first meeting of the Jewish Religious Union for the Advancement of Liberal Judaism at her sister Henrietta Franklin's house. The Union set up the first synagogue in Liberal Judaism in the UK and helped found the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Montagu was a founding member with her sister of the Jewish League for Woman Suffrage. She sat on the executive committee and led the meetings in prayer. Following the retirement of Leo Baeck, Montagu served for a brief stint (1955–1959) in her 80s as president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, before handing the reins over to Solomon Freehof.
  Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Montagu
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/lilian-helen-montagu
• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
  Bio: Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription

Featured Image:

Title: sunday’s prayer (Lilian H. Montagu 1895) – cropped
Caption: sunday's prayer (Lilian H. Montagu 1895) - cropped