parresia

St. John Damascene

A Prayer of St. John Damascene (d. 777)

This is usually prayed before going to bed, as an evening prayer.

O Master that lovest all men, will not this bed be my grave? Or wilt thou again enlighten my condemned soul with the day? Behold, the grave lieth before me; behold, death standeth before me. Thy Judgement, O Lord, I fear, and the unending torments, yet I cease not from doing evil. O Lord my God, continually I anger thee and thy most pure Mother, and all the heavenly powers, and my holy guardian angel. I know indeed, O Lord, that I am not worthy of thy love towards men, but am worthy of every condemnation and torment. But, O Lord, whether I wish it or not, do thou save me. For if thou savest the just, it is nothing great; and if thou hast mercy upon the pure, it is nothing marvellous: for they are worthy of thy mercy. But upon me, a sinner, shew the wonder of thy mercy; in this manifest thy love toward all men, and let not my evil nature overcome thy grace and kindness that cannot be told; and as thou wishest, order my goings aright...Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayers like this are Orthodoxy. Does it not seem very difficult to attach a "pelagian" label to such words? I just have a hard time understanding how Protestants find fault in such belief.

But aside from arguments, indeed the reason I wanted to share this prayer, was the excruciating truth...

"Thy Judgement, O Lord, I fear, and the unending torments, yet I cease not from doing evil."

Lord have mercy.

Posted by jeremy stock at May 18, 2002 09:52 AM