PRAYER OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
TO Thee, O God, the fount of mercy, I draw near, a sinner. From my uncleanness, therefore, deign Thou to cleanse me. Enlighten my blindness, O sun of justice; bind up my wounds, O eternal physician. Thou King of kings, clothe my nakedness; lead me back, good shepherd, to the fold from which I have strayed; Thou mediator between God and man, clear away my guilt. Have pity, O God, on my misery; grant indulgence to my crimes; restore me life for death, virtue for impiety, and to my obduracy apply Thy saving grace. O Thou most clement one, call me back fleeing from Thee, draw me when resisting, raise me when I fall, support me having risen, and lead me as I walk. Do not forget me when I forget Thee, nor turn Thou away when I forsake Thee; despise me not in the midst of my sins. By sinning I have offended Thee, my God, I have injured my neighbor, I have wounded myself. By my very weakness, O my God, have I sinned against Thee, the Father almighty; out of my ignorance, against Thee, the all wise Son; through my malice, against Thee, meek Spirit of God. Thus have I offended Thee, most excellent Trinity. Alas for my misery! How many and what great faults of divers kinds I have committed! I have abandoned Thee, O Lord; I have murmured against Thy goodness; and when confronted by base pleasure, or deterred by misfortune, I have preferred rather to lose Thee than to forego the things that allure, to offend Thee than to incur the things that I fear. O my God, how far I have
