Oh, “Lord! What is man, that You are mindful of him, and the son of man, that You visit him?” (Ps. 8:5) Man is “earth and ashes” (Sir. 10:9), and a destroyer of Your holy law. However, You honored him so much, you honored him who had dishonored You, his Creator and Lord. You have favored Your creation, my Creator. I have had mercy on Your servant, my Lord. You have found the lost sheep, my Shepherd. Delivered the captive, my Deliverer. Called the outcast, my God. I freed the bound one, my Liberator. Revived the dead, my life. You raised the fallen, my strength. I honored the dishonored and stood up for the helpless, my Intercessor, “You have broken my bonds... I will offer you a sacrifice of praise” (Ps. 115: 7-8). I confess Your grace, I kiss Your love for mankind, I worship Your goodness and mercy, I honor and sing Your incomprehensible condescension.
Oh, what will I repay to Your goodness, O One who loved me, “what will I repay to the Lord for all that He has given to me?” If I died a thousand times for You, it would be nothing, since You are my Lord, my Creator and my God, but I am earth and ashes, a sinner and Your indecent servant, and worthy of all death, not only temporary, but also eternal. What shall I render to You, my Lord, who loved me, my Protector, my Liberator, my Redeemer? What shall I render to You, Who did not spare me for His own sake, but gave Himself up to dishonor, blasphemy, ridicule, reproach, spitting, condemnation, beatings, wounds, torment, crucifixion and death, in order to make me, poor, accursed and outcast, blessed? What will I repay, having nothing of my own except corruption, weakness and sins? My soul and body and my composition are from You, Yours, Yours, but by me... alas for me!... corrupted and spoiled. The advice of the evil one and my will have corrupted me. I will bring you a grateful heart, whatever you want from me. But I can’t even do that without You, for without You I can’t know You and love the one I know!
Oh, how poor I am, how wretched, how weak I am, how cursed and corrupt I am! Oh, how my enemy has wounded and crushed me! But, my Deliverer, have mercy on me, the one whom You loved and for whom You gave Yourself, have mercy on me and enlighten me, so that I may know You, in Whom my life is, and kindle Your love in my heart, and “set my feet on a stone and straighten my steps” (Ps. 39:3), so that I may follow You, my Deliverer and my only Leader to heaven. and eternal life. Draw me along with You, O burning Love! Let us run after You: I will run after the breath of Your peace (see Song 1:3), so that where You are, there I, Your servant, redeemed by You, may be, to see Your glory. O merciful, compassionate, O Lover of Humanity! Give me a heart to follow You. Guide me on Your path, which Your chosen ones follow. Lead me with Your Holy Spirit: “Your Good Spirit will lead me into the land of righteousness” (Ps. 142:10).
You have done a great thing and it is incomprehensible to my mind that You, the Lord, the King of heaven and earth, came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and suffered and was crucified, and shed Your Blood for me, Your servant. Great, truly great and wonderful!
I believe, and I confess, and I confess, and I preach, and I am so amazed at Thy goodness and love for mankind towards me, a sinner... Do this Thy mercy to me, a sinner, I humbly pray to You, Lover of mankind, who loved me: cleanse me from all my sins with Thy holy Blood, which You shed for me, Thy sinful servant, and strengthen me in Thy fear and love, and grant me with faith and love to follow Thy holy footsteps, and preserve me with Thy power from my enemies who seek to put an obstacle in my steps and distract me from You, my Redeemer. “Let Thy mercy, O Lord, follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6), yes, having been saved by Thy grace forever, I will give thanks to Thee face to face with Thy elect, and I will sing and praise and glorify Thee, with Thy Beginning Father and Thy Most Holy Spirit, to endless ages, amen.
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