A LENTEN PRAYER

 

Lord Jesus Christ our God, who wept over Lazarus and poured on him tears of sadness and compassion, accept the tears of my bitterness.  Through your passion heal my passions, through your wounds bring remedies to my wounds, through your blood purify my blood and mingle with my body the perfume of your body which gives life. 

 

May the gall which your enemies gave you to drink sweeten my soul and dispel the bitterness poured into it by the adversary.    

 

May your body, stretched on the wood of the cross, speed towards you my mind, so dragged down by demons.

 

May your head, which you laid on the cross, lift up again my head, buffeted by enemies.

 

May your most hold hands, nailed to the cross by infidels, raise me from the gulf of perdition towards you, as your holy mouth promised (John 12:32).

 

May your face, which received blows and spitting from wretched men, make my face to shine, deformed as it is by iniquities. 

 

May your soul, which you gave up to your Father on the cross, lead me to you by your grace. 

 

I have no heart in the mourning to seek you with, I have neither repentance nor compunction, which bring the children back to their inheritance. 

 

Lord, I have no tears.

 

My mind is clouded with earthly cares, and cannot lift its gaze to you in sadness.

 

My heart has grown cold in a multitude of temptations, and cannot warm itself with the tears of your love.

 

But you, O Lord Jesus Christ, treasure of all riches, grant me perfect repentance and a sorrowing heart, that I may seek you with all my heart, for apart from you I will have no riches.  Give me, therefore, O Good One, your grace.

 

May the Father from whose bosom you went forth outside of time, from all eternity, renew in me the features of your image.

 

I have abandoned you; do not abandon me.

I have gone from your house; please go out to seek me and bring me in your pasture.

Number me with the sheep of your chosen flock and feed me with them from the store of your divine Mysteries…

 

                                                                                    St. John Saba

                                                                                    Syrian monk of the 7th century