Anglo-Saxon Prayer of Contrition to the Lord Jesus Christ

 Anglo-Saxon Prayer of Contrition to the Lord Jesus Christ

[Translated from "A Pre-Conquest English Prayer-Book" [Bl Mss Cotton Gal;ba A. xiv and Nero A. ii (ff. 3-13), printed by Henry Bradshaw Society, edited by Bernard James Muir, 1984, Volume CIII [page 61 , and note on V, from 11th century Canterbury manuscript] ]

A Prayer of Contrition to Our Lord Jesus Christ

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who on account of our sins didst come from the Bosom of the Father that Thou mightest redeem us from the sin of Adam, for I know, believe, and confess that not on account of the righteous, but on account of sinners Thou didst Will to dwell on the Earth. Hear and hearken to me, O my Lord God, hear me the sinner, the guilty one, the unworthy one, the careless one, the punishable one. To Thee, O Lord, I confess all my sins and all my evils which I have done in this particular age or the other crimes and impulses I have committed, in delight, in word, in doing, or in the thoughts of iniquity; I humbly ask from Thee mercy for all these sins. I have sinned, O Lord! Nevertheless, I have not denied Thee, for Thou Art the Loving One and the Merciful One, and Thou dost show Thy Mercies upon all Thy works. Thee I praise the Lord. Thee I glorify! Thee in the Divinity of the Holy Trinity I the begging one adore! And to Thee I give thanks in all mine infirmities for I have none other hope but in Thee, the Creator God of all things. At the Gate of Thy Church, O Lord Jesus Christ, I take refuge, and at the pledge of Thy Saints, prostrating I ask forgiveness. O Lord, for Thy Great Mercy do Thou grant to me the sinner perfect remission of all my sins. I pray Thee, O Lord, and I supplicate, that in all my life thou mayest preserve me and Thou mayest deign to help me in that tremendous hour when my soul shall be taken from my body. I beg Thee, O Lord, that Thou mayest grant to me the sinner both perfect remission of sins and the right sense of the True Faith. O Lord God Almighty, deliver my soul from the lower inferno. O Lord God, deliver me from the undying fire. O Lord God deliver me from all tribulation and anguish. O Lord God, deliver me from all evil, and from all the snares of mine enemies visible and invisible. I ask the Twenty and Four Elders and I pray all the Holy Angels and all the Patriarchs and Prophets of God I beg, also all the Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins I invoke, and I ask all the saints and elect of God to help me, and I beseech that in all my necessities they will help me, and may they constantly keep my life from all contamination of pollution. May they also simultaneously implore by assiduous prayers the remissions of all my sins from God. O Lord God Omnipotent, do Thou hear my prayer and let my cry come unto Thee for against Thee alone have I sinned and before Thee have I done evil. My sins, O Lord, are innumerable, therefore I intensely beg from Thee, O Lord, forgiveness for all my sins and negligences, for vain glory, for concupiscence of the flesh, for the bodily pollution, for detraction and murmuring, for envy, for pride, for drowsiness, for sloth, for adultery and fornication, for I came slowly to the work of God, for I have passed time negligently and for all the sins I did commit in mine youth which I am not able to say nor think of due to their great multitude. I ask forgiveness for all these, from Thee, the Lord God, and I implore and desire forgiveness, having been gained by all Thy Saint. Hear me, O Lord, just as Thou didst hear Susanna and didst deliver her from hands of the two false witnesses. Hear me, O Lord, just as Thou didst hear Peter in the sea, and Paul in chains. Do Thou be lenient to my soul, O Lord. Do Thou gird me about, O Lord, with the guardianship of Thine Holy Angels, and may Thy Benediction strongly go before me that vigilantly without sleep Thine Holy Guardianship will be sleeplessly protecting me from all the snares of all enemies visible and invisible. Hear me, O Lord, and compassionately have mercy on me Thy servant. For Thou Art my True God. Thou Art mine Eternal King. Thou Art my Most Powerful Physician. Thou Art the Living Bread. Thou Art the Priest unto Eternity. Thou Art my Great Loving-Kindness. Thou Art mine Wholesome Redemption. Thou Art my Future Hope. Thee, O Lord, I pray, Thee I pray, Thee I ask, that in Thee I may live, through Thee I may walk, in Thee I may rest, through Thee I may rise and to Thee my God I happily attain to; O Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, do Thou send Thy Good and Governing Spirit and may He guard my soul and my body into all health and purity, and grant, O Lord, to me the sinner true, humility, patience, tolerance, sobriety, faith, hope, perfect charity, and felicity in the consummation of Thine Holy Will, that having been cleansed from all sins and by the Grace of Thy Spirit having been washed in mind and soul, may I arrive at Thy Mercy, and may I come to Thy Blessed and Perpetual Vision, O Saviour of the world; Thou Who with the Same Father and the Same Holy Ghost, livest and reignest, God, unto all the ages of ages. Amen.