Tag: Confessions and Absolutions

The House of My Soul

220px-sandro_botticelli_050O 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

 

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A Prayer for the Word

Let not your Word, O Lord,
become a judgment upon us,
that we hear it and do it not,
that we know it and love it not,
that we believe it and obey it not:
O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
who lives and reigns world without end.
Amen.

Source: Thomas à Kempis

Source of this version: http://storage.cloversites.com/secondpresbyterianchurch/documents/March%2028%20-%20Maundy%20Thursday%20Service.pdf

Also quoted in The One Year Book of Personal Prayer, © 1991 Tyndale House Publishers (March 4)

A Prayer of Confession

O God, my heavenly Father,
I confess that I have grievously sinned against you in many ways;
not only by outward transgression,
but also by secret thoughts and desires,
which I cannot fully understand,
but which are all known to you.
I do earnestly repent,
and am truly sorry for these my offences.
In your great goodness
have mercy on me,
and for the sake of your dear Son
Jesus Christ my Lord,
forgive my sins,
and graciously help me overcome my weakness.
Amen.

Source: Modified from The Common Service Book, 1888, 1917

Original in traditional English:

O God, our Heavenly Father,
I confess unto Thee that I have grievously sinned against Thee in many ways;
not only by outward transgression,
but also by secret thoughts and desires,
which I cannot fully understand,
but which are all known unto Thee.
I do earnestly repent,
and am heartily sorry for these my offences,
and I beseech Thee of Thy great goodness
to have mercy upon me,
and for the sake of Thy dear Son
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
to forgive my sins,
and graciously to help my infirmities. Amen.