Prayer of Saint Ambrose


O God,
I who presume to invoke Thy Holy Name,
stand in the presence
of Thy Divine Majesty:
have mercy upon me,
a man:
a sinner smeared
by the foulness of inherent impurity;
forgive the unworthy priest
in whose hand this oblation
is seen offered:
Spare O Lord one polluted by sins:
in faults the foremost,
in comparison to all others,
and do not enter into judgment
with Thy servant,
for no one living is justified
in Thy sight.
It is true
that we are weighed down
in the faults and desires of our flesh:
Remember,
O Lord,
that we are flesh
and there is no other source of help than Thee.
Yeah,
in Thy sight
not even those in Heaven
are much more cleansed
than we earthly humans,
of whom,
as the Prophet Isaiah said
of all our righteous acts:
we are in comparison
as unworthy as a menstrual rag.
O Jesus Christ,
let us live.
O Thou Who dost not
will the death of a sinner:
Grant forgiveness unto us
whom Thou hast established in flesh,
so that by penitential acts
we may come
to enjoy eternal life
in the Heavens,
through our Lord Jesus Christ
Who reigneth with Thee
and the Holy Spirit
throughout all ages of ages.


Public Domain
Form Copyright Pauly Hart 2002