...Or did you laugh at my brother’s sin, but my essence is countless sins... Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not feel the beam in your eye? Or how will you say to your brother: “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” but behold, there is a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5).
The creator of this prayer is St. Ephraim the Syrian. (For details, see Appendix)