Lord Jesus Christ,
keeper and preserver of all things,
let your right hand guard us by day and by night,
when we sit at home,
and when we walk abroad,
when we lie down
and when we rise up,
that we may be kept from all evil,
and have mercy upon us sinners.
Amen.
Source: Nerses of Clajes (St. Nerses I)
Source of this version: Prayers of the Early Church, ed. J. Manning Potts, The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)
Be present,
O merciful God,
and protect us
through the silent hours of his night,
so that we,
who are wearied by the changes
and chances of this fleeting world,
may rest upon your eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Source: An Ancient Collect, sixth century
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953
Late have I loved you,
Beauty so ancient and so new,
late have I loved you!
Lo, you were within,
but I outside, seeking there for you,
and upon the shapely things you have made
I rushed headlong,
I, misshapen.
You were with me but I was not with you.
They held me back far from you,
those things which would have no being
were they not in you.
You called, shouted, broke through my deafness;
you flared, blazed, banished my blindness;
you lavished your fragrance,
I gasped, and now I pant for you;
I tasted you, and I hunger and thirst;
you touched me, and I burned for your peace.
Source: St. Augustine of Hippo, 354-430, Confessions, X, 27
Source of this version: http://www.deeper-devotion.net/augustine-confessions.html
Also found here: The Oxford Book of Prayer, ed. Appleton, © 1985, 1992
“Now I pant for you” may be a reference to Psalm 42:1
“I tasted you” may be a reference to Psalm 34:8
Graphic by Sandro Botticeli from Wikipedia.com.
Another version, freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1953
Late have I loved you,
Eternal Truth and Goodness.
Late have I sought you, my Father!
But you did seek me,
and when you shined forth on me,
then I knew you and learned to love you.
I thank you, my Light,
that you have shined on me,
and taught my soul what you wanted me to be,
and turned your face in pity to me.
You, Lord, have become my Hope,
my Comfort, my Strength, my All!
In you my soul rejoices.
The darkness vanished from before my eyes,
and I saw you,
the Son of Righteousness.
When I loved darkness, I did not know you,
but wandered on from night to night.
But you led me out of that blindness.
You took me by the hand and called me to you,
and now I can thank you,
and your mighty voice which has penetrated to my inmost heart. Amen.
O God,
you are the light of every heart that sees you,
the Life of every soul that loves you,
the strength of every mind that seeks you.
Help me to continue steadfast in your holy love.
Be the joy of my heart;
take it all to yourself,
and remain there.
The house of my soul is narrow;
enlarge it that you may enter in.
It is ruinous, O repair it!
It displeases your sight.
I confess it, I know.
But who shall cleanse it,
to whom shall I cry but to you?
Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord,
and spare your servant from strange sins.
Source: St. Augustine
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Early Church, ed. J. Manning Potts, The Upper Room, Nashville, Tennessee, © 1953 (Public domain in the U.S.)
Also found here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/liturgy/lent/the-house-of-my-soul-is-narrow-st-augustine-of-hippo/
Also quoted in The One Year Book of Personal Prayer, © 1991 Tyndale House Publishers (April 3)
The last two lines quote Psalm 19:12-13
We give you thanks upon thanks,
O Lord our God,
Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
by all means, at all times, in all places.
For you have sheltered, assisted,
supported, and led us on
through the past times of our lives,
and brought us to this hour.
O good and loving,
grant that we may pass this holy day,
and all the times of our lives, without sin,
with all joy, health, salvation,
sanctification, and fear of you.
O Lord God, drive away from us
and from your holy Christian and apostolic Church
all envy, all fear, all temptation,
all the working of Satan,
and all conspiracy of wicked men.
Supply us with things good and profitable.
In whatever ways we have sinned against you,
in word, deed, or thought,
pass over in your love and goodness.
Do not forsake us, O God,
for we hope in you.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one
and from his works;
by the grace, compassion, and goodness
of your only Son. Amen.
Source: The Divine Liturgy of St. Mark, in Bright’s Ancient Collects, p. 12.1
Shortened version:
We give you thanks, O Lord, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for you have sheltered, assisted, supported, and led us on through the past and brought us to this hour. O good and merciful God, grant that we may spend our lives avoiding sin, with all joy, health, salvation, sanctification, and fear of you. Drive away all envy, fear, temptation and the work of the devil from your church, through the grace, compassion, and goodness of your only Son.
Bright’s original translation:
We render Thee thanksgiving upon thanksgiving, Lord our God, Father of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, by all means, at all times, in all places. For Thou hast sheltered, assisted, supported, and led us on through the time past of our life, and brought us to this hour. And we pray and beseech Thee, O Good and Loving, grant us to pass this holy day, and all the time of our life, without sin; with all joy, health, salvation, sanctification, and fear of Thee. But all envy, all fear, all temptation, all the working of Satan, all conspiracy of wicked men, do Thou drive away, O God, from us, and from Thy holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Supply us. with things good and profitable. Whereinsoever we have sinned against Thee, in word, or deed, or thought, be Thou pleased in Thy love and goodness to pass it over; and forsake us not, O God, who hope in Thee, neither lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, and from his works, by the grace, and compassion, and benignity of Thine Only-begotten Son. (Liturgy of St. Mark, in Bright’s Ancient Collects, p. 12.1)
A Collection of Prayers 