A Prayer of St. John of Damascus

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I did not begin my previous post hoping to deliver a homily on keeping a Rule of prayer. I really wanted to share one of the prayers I’ve been contemplating before retiring each evening. I am especially moved every time by this line, “O Lord, whether I wish it or not, do thou save me.”

O master that lovest all men, will not this couch be my grave? Or wilt thou again enlighten my condemned soul with the day? Behold, the grave lieth before me; behold, death standeth before me. Thy Judgment, O Lord, I fear, and the unending torments, yet I cease not from doing evil. O Lord my God, continually I anger thee and thy most pure mother, and all the heavenly powers, and my holy guardian angel. I know indeed, O Lord, that I am not worthy of thy love towards men, but am worthy of every condemnation and torment. But, O Lord, whether I wish it or not, do thou save me. For if thou savest the just, it is nothing great; and if thou hast mercy upon the pure, it is nothing marvellous: for they are worthy of thy mercy. But upon me, a sinner, shew the wonder of thy mercy; in this manifest thy love toward all men, and let not my evil nature overcome thy grace and kindness that cannot be told; and as thou wishest, order my goings aright.

Lighten mine eyes, O Christ my God, that I sleep not in death: lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Be thou the defender of my soul, O God, for I walk through the midst of many snares; deliver me from them and save me, O blessed one, for thou art the lover of all men.

Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Let us extol with heart and lips incessantly the most glorious divine mother, who is more holy than the holy angels, confessing that she is the Theotokos, for in truth she bare for us God Incarnate, and she prayeth ceaslessly for our souls.

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One Response to “A Prayer of St. John of Damascus”

1. 

   name Says:
   April 7th, 2004 at 2:43 pm

   Jihad is something like ascesis? Really? Why then the islamic terrorists call their criminal organizations with the name Jihad? They are bad translators? Perhaps they don’t know the exact meaning, and all the terror and criminal acts they struggle to inflict on the western world is just due to bad translations.Really interesting…