St Peter of Damaskos Book1. A Treasury of Divine Knowledge. The Third Stage of Contemplation - A Prayer
St Peter introduces the prayer: "Then, conscious that Thy look is upon me, with all my soul I will cry out and say:"
0 most merciful Lord, I thank Thee, I glorify Thee, I hymn Thee, I venerate Thee, for unworthy though I am, Thou hast found me worthy in this hour to give thanks to Thee and to be mindful of the wonders and blessings - numberless and unfathomable, visible and invisible, known and unknown - that Thy grace has bestowed and still bestows on our souls and bodies.
I confess Thy gifts; I do not hide Thy blessings; I proclaim Thy mercies; I acknowledge Thee, 0 Lord my God, with all my heart, and glorify Thy name for ever. وFor great is Thy mercy towards meئ (Ps. 85:13), and inexpressible is Thy forbearance and long-suffering over my many sins and iniquities, over the heinous and godless things that I have done, and still do, and will do in the future.
From these Thy grace has saved me, whether they were committed consciously or unconsciously, in word, in action, or in thought. Thou knowest them all, 0 Lord, Searcher of hearts, from my birth until my death; and, abject that I am, I dare to confess them before Thee.
وI have sinned, I have transgressed, I have acted godlesslyئ (cf. Dan. 9:5), وI have done evil in thy sightئ (Ps. 50:4), and I am not worthy to gaze upon the height of heaven.
Yet, finding courage in Thy inexpressible compassion, in Thy goodness and tender mercy that excel our understanding, I fall before Thee and entreat Thee, Lord: وHave mercy upon me, 0 Lord, for I am weakئ (Ps. 6:2), and forgive me my many crimes. Do not allow me to sin again or to stray from Thy straight path, or to injure or offend anyone, but check in me every iniquity, every evil habit, every mindless impulse of soul and body, of anger and desire; and teach me to act according to Thy will.
Have mercy on[1]
للللللللل my brethren and fathers,
للللللللل on all monks and priests everywhere,
للللللللل on my parents, my brothers and sisters, my relatives,
للللللللل on those who have served us and those who serve us now,
للللللللل on those who pray for us and who have asked us to pray for them,
للللللللل on those who hate us and those who love us,
للللللللل on those whom I have injured or offended,
للللللللل on those who have injured or offended me or who will do so in the
future,
للللللللل and on all who trust in Thee.
Forgive us every sin whether deliberate or unintentional.
Protect our lives and our departure out of this
world from
للللللللل impure spirits,
للللللللل from every temptation,
للللللللل from all sin and malice,
للللللللل from presumption and despair,
للللللللل from lack of faith,
للللللللل from folly,
للللللللل from self-inflation and cowardice,
للللللللل from delusion and unruliness,
للللللللل from the wiles and snares of the devil.
In Thy compassion grant us what is good for our souls in this age and in the age to be.
Give rest to our fathers and brethren who have departed this life before us, and through the prayers of them all have mercy on my unhappy self in my depravity.
See how feeble I am in all things:
للللللللل rectify my conduct,
للللللللل direct my life and death into the paths of peace,
للللللللل fashion me into what Thou wilt and as Thou wilt,
للللللللل whether I want it or not.
Grant only that I shall not fail to find myself at Thy right hand on the day of judgment, Lord Jesus Christ my God, even though I am the least of all Thy servants to be saved.
Give peace to Thy world, and in ways best known to Thee have mercy on all men.
Count me worthy to partake of Thy pure body and Thy
precious blood,
للللللللل for the remission of sins,
للللللللل for communion in the Holy Spirit,
للللللللل as a foretaste of eternal life in Thee with Thine elect,
للللللللل through the intercessions of Thy most pure Mother,
لللللللللللللللللل of the angels and the celestial powers
لللللللللللللللللل and of all Thy saints;
for Thou art blessed through all the ages. Amen.
Most holy Lady, Mother of God,
للللللللل all celestial powers,
للللللللل holy angels and archangels,
للللللللل and all saints,
intercede for me a sinner.
God our Master, Father almighty, Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son, and Holy Spirit, one Godhead, one Power, have mercy on me a sinner[2].
AMEN
St Peter continues with instruction about praying the Psalter:
After praying in this way you should immediately address your own thoughts and say three times: و0 come, let us worship and fall down before God our King.ئ Then you should begin the psalms, reciting the Trisagion after each subsection of the Psalter, and enclosing your intellect within the words you are saying. After the Trisagion say وLord, have mercyئ forty times; and then make a prostration and say once within yourself, وI have sinned, Lord, forgive meئ. On standing, you should stretch out your arms and say once, وGod, be merciful to me a sinnerئ. After praying in this way, you should say once more, و0 come, let us worship...ئ three times, and then another sub-section of the Psalter in the same way.
Pages 117-119 Excerpted from https://ia802708.us.archive.org/32/items/Philokalia-TheCompleteText/Philokalia-Complete-Text.pdf. Endnotes by Priest Seraphim Holland
https://www.orthodox.net//trebnic/philokalia-vol-3-st-peter-of-damaskos-book1-117-a-treasury-of-divine-knowledge-the-third-stage-of-contemplation-a-prayer.doc
https://www.orthodox.net//trebnic/philokalia-vol-3-st-peter-of-damaskos-book1-117-a-treasury-of-divine-knowledge-the-third-stage-of-contemplation-a-prayer.pdf
https://www.orthodox.net//trebnic/philokalia-vol-3-st-peter-of-damaskos-book1-117-a-treasury-of-divine-knowledge-the-third-stage-of-contemplation-a-prayer.html