Imighty God, our Light in darkness, our Strength in weakness, our Hope in sinfulness,

and our Eternal Home, be unto us merciful, long-suffering, and patient; that we, who be slow of growth, may hope to come at last to Thy likeness; and, being upheld by Thee, may by Thy mercy go from strength to strength, until, through the waste and dreariness, through the joy and duty of this earthly life having safely passed, we through the fulness of Thy mercy may come into the land of the eternal peace-Amen. George Dawson.

Lord, Who seest that all hearts are empty except Thou fill them, and all desires balked except they crave after Thee; give us light and grace to seek and find Thee, that we may be Thine and Thou mayest be ours forever—Amen.

Christina G. Rossetti,

ord, I know not what ought to ask of Thee; Thou only knowest what I need; Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself. O Father! give to Thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask. I dare not ask either for crosses or consolations; I simply present myself before Thee, I open my heart to Thee. Behold my needs which I know not myself; see and do according to Thy tender mercy. Smite, or heal; depress me, or raise me up ; I adore all Thy purposes without knowing them; I am silent; I offer myself in sacrifice; I yield myself to Thee; I would have no other desire than to accomplish Thy will. Teach me to pray. Pray Thyself in me -Amen.

Francois de la Mothe Fenelón.

園

ll-seeing Light, and Light, and Eternal Life of all things, look upon my misery with Thine eye of mercy, and let Thine infinite power vouchsafe to limit out some portion of deliverance unto me, as unto Thee shall seem most convenient. But yet, O my God, I yield unto Thy will, and joyfully embrace what sorrow Thou wilt have me suffer. Only thus much let me crave of Thee (let my craving, O Lord, be accepted of Thee, since even that proceeds from Thee)-let me crave even by the noblest title, which in my greatest affliction I may give myself, that I am Thy creature, and by Thy goodness (which is Thyself), that Thou wilt suffer some beam of Thy Majesty so to shine into my mind, that it may still depend confidently on Thee-Amen.

Sir Philip Sidney.

2h, send Thy light and Thy truth, that I may live always near to Thee, my God. Oh, let

me feel Thy love, that I may be, as it were, already in heaven, that I may do all my work as the angels do theirs; and Oh, let me be ready for every work! be ready to go out or go in, to stay or depart, just as Thou shalt appoint. Lord, let me have no will of my own; or consider my true happiness as depending, in the smallest degree, on anything that can befall me outwardly, but as consisting altogether in conformity to Thy will-Amen.

Henry Martyn (1781–1812).

God, Who chastisest us in Thy love, and refreshest us amid Thy chastening; grant that we may ever be able to give Thee thanks for both; through Jesus Christ our Lord -Amen.

Leonine Sacramentary, 440 A.D.

orgive me my sins, O Lord, forgive me the sins of my youth and the sins of mine age, the

sins of my soul, and the sins of my body, my secret and my whispering sins, my presumptuous and my crying sins, the sins that I have done to please myself, and the sins that I have done to please others. Forgive me those sins which I know, and those sins which I know not; forgive them, O Lord, forgive them all of Thy great goodness-Amen. Private Devotions, 1560.

rant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, unto us who know that we are weak, and who trust in Thee because we know that Thou art strong, the gladsome help of Thy loving-kindness, both here in time. and hereafter in eternity—Amen.

Koman Breviary.