From unclean walls, from a vile heart, from an unclean tongue, from a soul defiled, accept this prayer, my Christ, and do not despise my words, below images, below lack of study. Grant me to boldly say what I want, my Christ; and moreover, teach me what it is proper for me to do and say. Having sinned more than the harlot, even having realized where they dwelt, and having bought myrrh, I came boldly to anoint Your nose, my God, my Master and Christ. Just as you did not reject the one that came from your heart, abhor me below, the Word: Give your nose and hold and kiss, and boldly anoint this with streams of tears, like a valuable ointment. Wash me with my tears, cleanse me with them, O Word. Forgive my sins and grant me forgiveness. Weigh a multitude of evils, weigh my scabs, and see my ulcers: but also weigh my faith, and see my will, and hear my groaning. There is no hidden part of you, my God, my Creator, my Savior, below a drop of tears, below a drop of a certain part. Thy eyes have seen what I have not done; in Thy book the essence of what has not yet been done is written to You.
See my humility, see, my labor is great, and forgive me all my sins, O God of all, so that with a pure heart, a trembling thought and a contrite soul, I may partake of Your undefiled and most holy Mysteries, by which everyone who eats and drinks with a pure heart is revived and adored. For you have said, my Lord: whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood, he abides in Me, and in him I am. The word of all my Lord and God is true: For we partake of the Divine and adoring graces, for I am not alone, but with You, my Christ, the Trisunlar Light, enlightening the world. Yes, for I will not be the only one besides You, the Life-Giver, my breath, my life, my joy, the salvation of the world: for this sake, I come to You, as I see, with tears and a contrite soul: I ask you to accept the deliverance of my sins, and to partake of Your life-giving and immaculate sacraments without condemnation. May you abide, as you have said, with me, the repentant one: lest, except for having found me Your grace, the deceiver will seduce me more flatteringly and, having deceived, lead away those who idolize Your words.
For this reason I fall to You and cry out to You warmly: just as You received the prodigal and the harlot who came, so receive me, the prodigal and the filthy, generously. With a contrite soul now coming to You, we know, O Savior, as another as I, do not sin against You, below the deeds that I have committed. But this again we know, as neither the greatness of sins, nor the multitude of sins, surpasses my God, much long-suffering and extreme love for mankind: but by the mercy of compassion, those who repent warmly and purify, and brighten, and create light, partakers, fellow-partners of Your Divinity, who have done unenviously: and, strangely, with both an Angel and a human thought, you converse They are loved many times, like Your true friend. This is the boldness they create for me, this is the one that challenges me, O my Christ. And daring to show us your rich kindness, rejoicing and trembling together, I partake of the Fire, this grass and, strangely, a miracle, we water it without burning, just as the bush of old burned without burning. Now with a grateful thought, with a grateful heart, with grateful hands, my soul and my body, I worship, magnify and glorify Thee, my God, for being blessed now and forever.
From foul lips, from a vile heart, from an unclean tongue, from a defiled soul, accept, my Christ, my prayer and do not despise either my words, or images, or lack of study. Allow me to boldly express what I want to say, my Christ; or better yet, teach me what I should do and say. I have sinned more than the harlot, who, having learned where You were, bought fragrant ointment, and boldly came to anoint the feet of Your God, my Lord and Christ. Just as You did not reject her, who came to You from a pure heart, do not disdain to accept me, the Word of God: allow me, like her, to boldly touch Your feet, hold and kiss them, and anoint them with streams of my tears, like valuable ointment. Wash me with my tears, cleanse me with them, the Word. Forgive my sins and grant me forgiveness. You know the multitude of my evil deeds, you know my scabs, you also see the ulcers (of my soul); but You know my faith, You see my good intentions, You also hear my sighing. Not a single drop of my tears, or even a small part of this drop, will be hidden from You, my God, my Creator, my Savior.
Your all-seeing eyes also see what I have not done; in Thy book are written also things which have not yet been done by me. Look at my humility, at my contrition for sins, and for the sake of all this, forgive me, Lord, my sins, so that with a pure heart, a trembling thought and a contrite soul, I may partake of Your most holy and pure Mysteries, by which everyone who eats and drinks with a pure heart is revived and adored. For You, my Lord, said: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” And every word of my Master and God is true: for, having partaken of Your Divine and life-giving Mysteries, I am no longer alone, but with You, my Christ, the Three-Sun Light, enlightening the world. But in order for me not to remain alone - without You, the Life-Giver, my breath, my life, my joy, the salvation of the world - I approached You, as you can see, with tears and ask with a contrite soul to grant me deliverance from my sins and to deign me to uncondemnably partake of Your life-giving and most pure Mysteries.
Stay with me, the most unfortunate, as You said; abide so that my seducer does not flatteringly snatch me away, seeing me deprived of Your grace, and, having deceived me, do not deviate me from Your Divine words. And therefore I fall down to You and fervently cry: accept me, the prodigal, the nasty, as You, the all-generous Lord, accepted the prodigal (son) and the harlot who came to You. For, now coming to You with a contrite soul, I realize, my Savior, that no one has sinned so much against You and has not done what I have done. But I also realize that neither the severity of my sins nor the multitude of my sins can exceed the long-suffering and boundless love of my God. I also acknowledge that You have merciful compassion for those who repent sincerely, purify them, enlighten them, and make them partakers of Your light and associates of Your Divinity and, to the surprise of the Angels and human thought, you often talk with them as with Your true friends. The consciousness of all this gives me boldness to approach You, my Christ.
But, boldly thinking about Your great benefits to us, I rejoice and at the same time tremble at the thought that I, an insignificant blade of grass, am communing with the Fire and, oh, a strange miracle! - I am not scorched, like the burning and unburnt bush of ancient times, being watered by Your grace. Now, with a grateful thought, a grateful heart, my grateful members, my body and soul, I worship, magnify and glorify You, my God, as always blessed, now and forever.