A Prayer of St. John of Damascus
I stand before the gates of thy Temple,
and yet I refrain not from my evil thoughts.
But do thou,
O Christ my God,
who didst justify the publican,
and hadst mercy on the Canaanite woman,
and opened the gates of Paradise to the thief;
open unto me the compassion of thy love toward mankind,
and receive me as I approach and touch thee,
like the sinful woman and the woman with the issue of blood;
for the one,
by embracing thy feet received the forgiveness of her sins,
and the other by but touching the hem of thy garment was healed.
And I, most sinful,
dare to partake of thy whole Body.
Let me not be consumed but receive me as thou didst receive them,
and enlighten the perceptions of my soul,
consuming the accusations of my sins;
through the intercessions of Her that without stain gave Thee birth,
and of the heavenly Powers;
for thou art blessed unto ages of ages.
Amen.
