I will say to my God, my Lord, and my King,
“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, O Lord,
which you have stored up for those who fear you.”
But what are you to those who love you?
What are you to those who serve you with their whole heart?
In this especially you have showed me the sweetness of your love;
that when I was not,
you made me,
when I went far astray from you,
you brought me back again, that I might serve you,
and have commanded me to love you.
I wish that I were able,
at least for one day,
to do some worthy service for you.
Truly, you are my Lord,
and I your servant,
bound to serve you with all my might.
This I wish to do, this I desire,
and supply whatever is lacking in me,
I pray.
Source: Thomas à Kempis
Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.