O my God, holiness becometh Thy House,
and yet Thou dost make Thy abode in my breast.
My Lord, my Saviour, to me Thou comest,
hidden under the semblance of earthly things,
yet in that very flesh and blood
which Thou didst take from Mary,
Thou, who didst first inhabit Mary’s breast,
dost come to me.
My God, Thou seest me; I cannot see myself…
Thou seest how unworthy so great a sinner
is to receive the One Holy God,
whom the Seraphim adore with trembling…
My God, enable me to bear Thee,
for Thou alone canst.
Cleanse my heart and mind from all that is past…
give me a true perception of things unseen,
and make me truly, practically,
and in the details of life,
prefer Thee to anything on earth,
and the future world to the present.